Beneath the Apple Tree
by secretsillnevertell
Summary: When Regina accidentally brings a younger version of herself, from a parallel universe, to Storybrooke, and pawns her off on Henry to watch, the two teens begin developing feelings for each other. How will Emma and Regina react to this. Believer Queen. Written with askandiwilllie
1. Chapter 1

Regina sighed heavily as she checked apples to pull from her tree. Setting one into the basket hanging just below her elbow, she allowed her thoughts to wander over that morning's conversation with Henry. There wasn't one particular reason why she didn't want him to know about who she was before she met Daniel, before she was forced into marrying Leopold, but the underlying thought plaguing her was that he wouldn't believe her. Henry was good, down to his very core, and she had once been good, too. But he knew the stories of her, of the Evil Queen, and she feared that telling him anything before that time of her life would only lead to pain when he didn't believe she could have been so innocent once.

Pulling another apple from the tree, Regina wondered what it would be like if Henry could truly know who she was when she was his age, seventeen and innocent and mostly unharmed. Perhaps if he could have met her, he would believe her, but that wasn't going to happen, and there was no point in wondering about such things.

Regina felt a surge of magic and heard a yelp from the other side of the tree as she saw a body drop from, seemingly, out of thin air. The girl was on all fours, having caught herself against the ground, and she had long dark hair that fell over her shoulders. She was wearing a light blue dress, long, floor length probably. The fabric was shiny, though the dress seemed simple enough and was laying naturally against her and it looked... well, it looked oddly familiar.

Swallowing thickly, Regina rolled her lips and set down her basket of apples, crouching as well as she could in her pencil skirt as she reached her hand out to help the girl. The visitor reached for her hand blindly and mumbled a soft thanks as she stood. Once they were standing, facing each other, Regina squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed her temples, sighing as she pulled out her phone and the girl looked at her frantically, almost fearful.

Dialing the phone, she waited for an answer, then said, "Emma... I need you outside my office, now."

"What's up?" Emma asked, popping a chip into her mouth and chewing it loudly, mostly to annoy Regina, as she swung her feet off her desk and stood, grabbing her keys.

She rolled her eyes at the phone and turned away from the visitor enough to be quiet, but not enough to lose sight of her. "We have a magical problem. A visitor. From the past."

"Well shit," Emma sighed. "Of course we do. Because it's been, what, a week since someone tried to blow us up? I'll be right there."

"Good." Hanging up the phone, Regina turned back to the visitor and tried to look calm. "Are you all right?"

She received a nod, as the girl looked her over and frowned. "I do not understand... where am I and... are you-?"

"Yes. Just wait a few moments and we'll get this figured out," she said, looking around and silently begging Emma to get there faster.

Within minutes, Emma screeched to a halt in front of City Hall, slamming her car door and striding over to where Regina was standing next to someone with dark hair and a blue dress. "Okay, what's the problem?"

Regina turned so Emma could see them both clearly and waved her hand in front of the girl. "_This_, Emma. This is the problem."

Emma's mouth fell open in surprise. "Oh," she finally said, still blinking at the younger Regina. "Well… shit. That's… what?"

"I don't know! She just appeared!" Regina hissed exasperatedly. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she shook her head and looked around. "I have no idea how to fix whatever happened."

"And you expect _me_ to know?! Regina, I know I've come a long way with my magic and all, but you're still the expert, not me!"

"Maybe so," she allowed, dropping her hands and clapping them against her legs. "But I need your help with her. I can't... until we figure this out, we can't let her know much about me, it could change things when we send her back."

"Hm," Emma hummed, eyeing the girl. "Why don't we get Henry to keep her occupied? He won't say anything."

Regina looked at her younger self and, after a moment, nodded with a mix of caution and satisfaction. Henry would finally be able to know who she'd really been. With that thought, she realized that she must have accidentally brought her younger self to Storybrooke. Brushing the thought away momentarily, she said, "Very well. Call him."

"Excuse me," the younger Regina said softly. "Who is Henry? And where am I?" She studied the clothes the older women were wearing and scrunched her nose. The attire was strange, and the buildings looked considerably different from home, and oh, her mother would punish her for disappearing like this.

"Oh my god, she sounds _adorable_," Emma laughed. "Regina, were you seriously like this?"

With a roll of her eyes, Regina pinned Emma with a glare. "Obviously, since she _is_ me. Now would you please just call him?" She turned to her... self and gave a tight smile. "Don't worry. You'll be safe with Henry until we can figure out how to get you home."

Young Regina nodded and stood awkwardly, eyes wandering over her surroundings and over the woman who had said that she was her. Her hair was shorter than her own, not by too much, but enough. And she looked sad, and she found herself wondering what had brought such sadness to her life as she aged.

Emma muttered something about being touchy, and pulled out her phone, dialling Henry. When he picked up, she smiled reflexively. "Hey, kid, I need a favor."

"What is it?" Henry asked, setting down the comic he'd been reading.

"There's a situation at City Hall… We kind of have two Reginas right now. And since the new one is your age, I thought you could keep her company… and away from people who might give information without spoiler alerts."

Henry sat on his bed, staring at the wall as Emma's words filtered in.

"Kid?"

"Uh, yeah. I'll be there in a few. Any idea what I should do to keep her occupied?" Henry asked, frowning in confusion as he pulled on a pair of sneakers.

"No idea. We'll figure out what she likes when you get here. Hurry up, okay?"

"Will do."

Emma hung up, turning back to the two women. "He'll be here soon."

"Good," Regina breathed, turning to look at the innocent version of herself. "I'm sure Henry won't enjoy it, but he's going to have to take her shopping, or at least to my house to get her some suitable clothes."

"This is one of my nicest dresses!" the other Regina said, her voice light but carrying an edge of hurt in it. She wasn't particularly fond of the dress, she would wear riding clothes everyday if she could, but she didn't appreciate having her appearance be called unsuitable.

"It isn't that," Regina assured. "It's just that we need you to not stick out, and right now you do."

"Regina," Emma murmured, moving closer to the mayor. "Seriously. You were adorable. Can I keep her?"

Shooting another glare at the blonde, Regina said, "Only if you get rid of me, and while I'm sure that would please you to no end, it isn't an option."

Emma's argument was cut off by the arrival of Henry in his car.

"You weren't kidding," was the first thing he said upon approach, looking at the younger version of his mother. He smiled at her and held out his hand. "Hi, I'm Henry."

"Regina," she answered, frowning at his hand and gripping the sides of her dress instead. The girl gave him a small curtsy and dipped her head slightly. "I've never shaken a man's hand before."

Regina sighed and nodded. "It's fine, dear. Now, why don't you go with Henry, and Emma and I will just figure out how to get you back home." Then, looking at Henry, she added, "She'll need some different clothes."

Henry looked slightly pained. "Can I just take her by the mansion and get something of yours? That's a little less painful than shopping. Also cheaper."

"Okay. I have jeans in the dresser and... just point her toward the top drawer in my closet dresser and let her choose something, but don't go in there. And she can wear any shirt she'd like," Regina said, second guessing if maybe she should be the one to take her for clothes. The underclothing in the Enchanted Forest was different, and probably wouldn't fit under the tight clothes she owned, nor would her younger self know how to work a bra.

The teen girl made a face and looked between Henry and Regina. "What in the realm are jeans?"

"Are you sure I can't keep her?" Emma whispered.

Henry grinned and pointed at his denim-covered legs, then at Emma's. "These are jeans. Normally they're not as tight as Ma wears them, so don't worry about that. Plus, I was thinking, you like riding horses, right? Jeans are great for that."

Perking up immediately, the younger woman smiled. "You have horses? I love to ride." She then frowned in thought and shook her head. "Mother says I ride like a man. Is that... will that bother you?"

Regina felt pain squeeze her heart at her younger self's words and shook her head. "No, sweetheart, you ride just how you know and like."

Henry nodded in agreement. "And you can pick whichever horse you want, too. Come on," he held out his hand to her, grinning.

She took his hand and said her goodbyes to the other women. Looking at Henry, she smiled softly and asked, "Are jeans comfortable? Although, I suppose they can't be much worse than a corset." Her last words were mumbled and she blushed when she realized he had probably heard anyway. It wasn't proper to speak of such things in the company of a man.

Smiling assuringly, Henry nodded. "Jeans are great. And don't worry. Ma went to the Enchanted Forest a couple times, and she said corsets were the most uncomfortable thing she ever wore." He guided her to his car and opened the passenger side door for her.

"What is this?" Regina frowned. "Is this a carriage? It's awfully strange looking." Still, she crouched slightly, looking in and then sliding into the seat provided. There were buttons all over the inside and a wheel on the other side that looked strange to her.

"It's a kind of carriage, yeah," Henry agreed, then closed the door and jogged around to the other side, sliding into the driver's seat. "It's called a car. I'm gonna warn you now, it makes noise and kinda vibrates when it's running, okay? I don't want it to startle you or anything when I turn it on."

Nodding, she mentally prepared herself not to be frightened. "You're very kind, Henry," Regina told him. "I haven't been around many men, but the ones I have are always pushy and wretched. But you seem different."

Smiling proudly, Henry told her, "I was raised to be a gentleman." He reached over and squeezed her hand briefly before turning the key in the ignition, the car rumbling to life underneath them.

"Oh! That's strange!" Regina said, her eyes widening at the new sound and feeling. "Is it very fast?"

"It can be," Henry nodded as he pulled his seatbelt on. "But we have speed limits so you can't go **too** fast. Oh, and you have to wear these," he added. "Yours is over your right shoulder if you want to grab it. And it just clicks in here." He blushed a little as he had to move her dress to uncover the seatbelt latch.

She did as he told, fumbling a little when she tried to push it in. "What is this for?" Regina asked, not liking the material across her chest, rubbing against her skin.

"Uh," Henry hesitated, not wanting to say that it was in case they crashed. "It keeps you in place when you turn corners fast or stop suddenly." He gave her another reassuring smile before pulling out of his parking spot and starting down the road.

"I see." Regina found herself admiring his features. The other women had said he was her age, but she hadn't told them how old she was exactly. Still, Henry didn't look more than seventeen or eighteen. She found herself blushing, the warmth spreading across her cheeks as she admired him, then turned her face away so she wouldn't get caught.

The ride to the mansion was in silence, Henry pulling up in front of the house, parking on the street. "Here we are." He got out and quickly rounded the car to open her door for her and hold out his hand to help her out. "Ready to get out of that uncomfortable corset?" he teased.

Regina's eyes widened and she blushed again, but she soon realized he hadn't meant it in the way her thoughts had taken her, since they'd spoken about her changing her clothing. "Oh... yes, I am." Then, taking his offered hand, she stood out of the car and smiled shyly at him.

Henry grinned in return, the tips of his ears beginning to turn red. _Stop being weird, Mills, this is your mom. Sorta._ Of course, she was also a pretty girl around his own age, with sparkling eyes and a soft smile. "Come on." He closed the door with his free hand and led her up the path, opening the front door. "This is the great mayoral mansion," he chuckled. "Also known as where future-you lives."

"It's beautiful," she whispered in awe. "And so quaint!" Regina looked around as she entered. "I must have lovely tastes as an adult."

"Quaint?" Henry asked, raising his eyebrows. "The bedrooms are upstairs." Tilting his head, he led the way to the staircase.

Following him, she said, "I live in a castle." Regina shrugged and looked at the walls and decorations as they climbed the stairs. "But this is so much better."

"Better than a castle?" Henry laughed in disbelief. "I'd give anything to live in a castle. That would be so cool."

"Why ever? They're cold and large and... empty," she said, her voice sad.

Twisting his lips together, Henry stopped at the top of the stairs and faced her. "Maybe you just need the right people there with you."

Giving a nod of agreement, Regina smiled once more. "Perhaps so. Now... where might I find this clothing I need to wear?"

"This way." Henry led her to Regina's bedroom, opening the door and going into the closet. He grabbed the jeans from the drawer and handed them to her. "Here are the jeans. The, um…" his ears and cheeks flared red, "underthings are in the top drawer. Shirts are hanging up. Pick whatever you want. I'll just… wait downstairs."

"Oh. Henry? I know this is terribly personal," she started, blushing in a shade that matched his own cheeks well. "There's a latch at the top of my dress in the back. I couldn't possibly reach it on my own. Could you...?" Regina left the sentence hanging in the air between them and immediately vowed to herself that her mother could never know she'd just asked for a man's help in getting her dress undone.

Henry's eyes widened slightly, and he swallowed hard. "Sure," the word came out dry and rasping, and he cleared his throat, stepping behind her. He found the latch and quickly undid it, asking, "Is that… is that good?"

Turning her shoulders just slightly, Regina turned her neck and gave him a tight smile and a soft nod. "Yes, thank you," she answered quietly, staring into his green eyes. She took a deep breath and cleared her throat. "I'll just find you when I'm done then?"

"Sure," Henry nodded quickly, half-stumbling over his feet as he made his way to the door. Once it was closed between them, he leaned against it briefly, blowing out a long breath and willing himself to get a grip.

Regina slid out of her dress, laying it across the bed. Then she made her way to the dresser and opened the top drawer. Her eyes widened at how little material each piece consisted of and she ruffled through until she found a pair made more of silk than lace. She felt scandalized, they were bright red, and it felt so unladylike to wear, but nothing else even looked like it would cover her. With a sigh, she pulled them on and followed with the jeans. The fabric was surprisingly soft against her skin despite the rougher exterior, and they fit snugly around her bottom, which made her eyes widen in the mirror.

Regina then reached back and tugged at the lace of her corset, untying it and pulling it off. She found what looked like a miniature corset in the drawer with the underwear, but she looked at it and had no idea what to do with it. Walking into the closet, she looked through the shirts to find something to wear. There was a row of what looked like soft corsets with thin straps for her shoulders, so she pulled one on and was pleased to find it was concealing enough. Picking out a dark blue button-up, she pulled it up her arms and over her shoulders, working the buttons into their proper spaces. Once she was satisfied, she walked out of the room and down the stairs.

Henry looked up when he heard footsteps, and his eyes widened slightly. "You look… good," he choked out, his gaze scanning her form. "I, uh, found a pair of riding boots for you," he added, holding out his mother's rarely-used boots.

"Oh, that's wonderful! Something needs to be familiar to me," Regina answered, taking the boots from him. Before she pulled one on, she looked at him with her brow furrowed. "I don't have my stockings."

"Oh, right," Henry snapped his fingers. "Socks. Be right back!" He ran up the stairs two at a time back into the master bedroom closet, checking the dresser drawers - and avoiding the top one - until he found the socks. Grabbing a pair, he hurried back downstairs. "Here you go."

Taking them from him, Regina pulled them on, followed by the riding boots. She stood, thanking Henry for his help. "Now do we get to see the horses?"

"Yep," Henry nodded. "Unless you wanna grab something to eat first, but personally, I don't like riding after eating."

"No, I can wait to eat. I had an apple for breakfast, anyway," she answered with a smile. "I'm quite excited to ride. I love horses."

Henry shook his head slightly at how little she apparently ate, but didn't say anything other than, "Let's go, then," and led her back to the car.

Sliding in the car with more familiarity, Regina remembered the strange restraint and pulled it on. She was ready to ride a more familiar mode of transportation though, that was for certain.

"So how long have you been riding?" Henry asked once they were headed toward the stables.

"Since I was young, probably eight or nine," Regina told him. "Mother said it was for discipline, but now she's not very fond of my affinity for it. And you?"

"Six years ago, when I was eleven," Henry replied. "My grandpa thought I should learn, so he got me my own horse."

She smiled fondly at that. "Then you must have a relationship with your horse? That's very important."

"Yeah," Henry chuckled. "I missed a year, I had to move and he couldn't come, but when I got back, I started going to the stables again. I don't get to ride as much as I'd like, so I'm not very good, but, y'know, I can stay on his back, so that's a plus."

"I can help teach you!" Regina told him excitedly. She found that she enjoyed having something like a friend. Looking out the window, she watched as the surroundings passed quickly. "It's beautiful here, this strange land."

Grinning happily, Henry nodded. "It's called Maine. Well, the town is Storybrooke, but it's in Maine. I like it here."

"Storybrooke. What a strange name. And I'm the... Mayor, you said?" she asked. When she saw stables, she smiled once more.

"Yeah, the mayor," Henry affirmed, parking in front of the stables. "But that doesn't matter, right? We have horses to ride!"

"Yes, horses," Regina answered, giving a nod and releasing the belt from her. Turning to open the door, she realized she hadn't had to yet, so she didn't know how, so she looked to Henry for guidance.

"See that latch there?" Henry pointed, his arm almost brushing her chest. "Just pull that, and push the door." He pulled back and demonstrated by opening his own door.

Thanking him again, she did as he explained and got out of the car. Regina looked around and breathed in the fresh air, already able to smell the hay. "I know I do not know much here, you probably find it bothersome. I'm sorry you got stuck keeping track of me."

"I don't mind," Henry replied easily. "I wasn't really doing anything anyway, and besides, you're really pretty." His brain caught up with his mouth, and he flushed, stuttering, "A-and, y'know… horses."

She blushed deeply and her lips curved up into an unintentional smile. "Thank you. You're very good looking yourself," Regina mumbled, then teasingly added, "and horses."

Henry rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, and entered the stable. "Uh, this is my horse," he said, stopping in front of a stall containing a grey dapple gelding. "His name is Atlas." Reaching up, he scratched the top of the horse's head, between his ears. The horse nickered and nudged at Henry's shoulder, sniffing at him, looking for treats.

"Strong," Regina said automatically. "He's beautiful." She moved to stand in front of the horse, bowing her head slightly and holding her hand up in front of him, just above his nose. Fingers pointing to the sky, she held it just inches from him and waited to see if he would respond.

Atlas sniffed at her cautiously before pressing his soft muzzle into her palm and snorting.

Henry laughed. "I think he likes you."

Humming, she stepped closer to the horse and petted him happily. "The feeling is mutual. He's a wonderful horse."

"Marcus - he runs the stables - is really good about only bringing in horses that have been treated well and are healthy. He has another smaller stable where he works on rehabilitating abused horses, but they're not kept here. Too many kids ride," Henry explained. "Oh, oh! Hey, check it out." Taking Regina's hand, he pulled her a few stalls down, where a large bay stood with his back to them. The nameplate said his name was 'The Royal Guard' and Henry whistled softly. "This is your horse," he said, then shrugged. "Well… yours in the future."

Clucking her tongue, Regina waited as the horse turned. She repeated the same actions she had with Atlas, pleased when he, too, responded well. "Hey there," she cooed, petting him. "You're quite a beautiful horse. Will you let me ride you today?" Regina waited a moment as she ran her hand up between his eyes and to the top of his mane. Finally, the horse neighed, and Regina clapped excitedly. "He likes me!"

"I'd hope so," Henry chuckled, fascinated by her innocent enthusiasm. "He probably recognizes you. Also you, future you is the only person he lets ride him. So I figure he'll let you ride him."

"He doesn't let you ride him?" she asked in surprise. Regina slowly pulled open the door as she looked at Henry for his response, her bright eyes watching his face.

"Nope," Henry shook his head a little ruefully. "Royal likes people well enough, but he's picky about who he lets on his back."

"But you're so wonderful," Regina countered without thinking. After realizing what she said, she dropped her eyes to the floor and moved into the stall, running her fingers over Royal's mane.

Blushing, Henry scuffed his foot against the wood floor. "So… do you want a saddle, or bareback?"

"Bareback, of course. Though, he's awfully large, I may need assistance getting up," she answered, looking around on the ground for a stool.

"Oh, uh…" Henry hesitated before shrugging internally and moving into the stall as well, brushing his hand over Royal's side before going down on one knee and giving Regina a half-smile, patting his leg.

She pressed her foot on top of his leg and gripped the horse's mane, tossing her leg over Royal's back and settling herself. "Thank you, Henry. You would make a very noble knight."

"Maybe I'd be a gallant prince," he returned, chuckling at his own joke as he stood again. "And see? I told you Royal would let you ride him. He'd be fidgeting by now and spazzing out if he wasn't."

"Maybe he'd let you ride with me," she suggested innocently. "After I have him to myself, of course. I promised to teach you, afterall."

Henry bit his lip, looking down and shaking his head slightly before glancing back up at her and teasing, "You're trouble."

"Trouble? How so?" Regina was worried she had offended him and looked intently into his bright green eyes.

Backing out of the stall, Henry replied, "You're too beautiful," and fled to get his own horse, his face burning in embarrassment. She may _be_ trouble, but he was the one who was going to _get into_ trouble - _fuck, no, that's not what I meant!_ \- if he didn't behave himself. His mothers would kill him.

Blushing after he walked away, Regina shook her head and tried to stop the light fluttering she felt in her stomach. Henry was a lovely young man, but it wouldn't do her any good to fall for someone in a place and time she didn't live in. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to kiss him. Her first kiss.

After a minute, Henry returned on Atlas's back, grinning a little awkwardly at Regina. "So, um, there are a few riding trails, and one of them goes to this big open field. I was thinking maybe we could go there?"

She nodded her agreement and nudged Royal with her heel to get him moving. Following Henry and Atlas out of the stables, Regina felt free. Having a horse to ride without her mother's constant judgements felt wonderful. "Lead the way, dashing Prince," she teased, with a sudden surge of confidence.

Henry grinned, giving Regina a sideways glance as he moved past her. "That's a lot of trust, pretty princess… maybe I'll lead you away to have my wicked way with you," he teased back.

Raising her eyebrows, she blushed again, keenly aware of how the butterflies in her stomach were moving madly. Regina could not recall any of the suitors her mother forcing her to meet being quite so charming in their boldness. "Perhaps I've put my trust in the wrong gentleman," she countered, eyes shining with amusement. "But I shall trust you anyway, and perhaps if you remain on your best behavior, I may allow you a kiss."

Henry lost his breath for a moment as a flush of warmth moved through him, and his legs tightened around Atlas, causing the horse to jolt forward. After a moment to get himself back under control, he turned back to Regina, his expression serious. "Just so you know… I wouldn't. Take advantage of you, I mean. I would never do anything to a woman that she didn't want."

"I believe that," Regina answered, grinning at him. "I may be young, but I can tell the difference between a gentlemen and a man with poor intentions." And she truly did believe him, and trust him, despite hardly knowing anything about him.

"Good," Henry nodded, smiling at her before he turned his horse toward the path.

There was so much she wanted to ask him, so much she wanted to know, but she settled for enjoying the ride in silence. Following him, Regina wondered what it would be like to actually know someone, to actually have a true friend, and the idea pleased her.

When they got to the field, Henry brought Atlas to a stop and turned his head, watching as Regina pulled up next to him. "Here we are," he said, motioning in front of them. "This is my favorite place to ride. Most people take the other trails, so it's quiet, and there's room to gallop and just do whatever."

Smirking, Regina pressed her heels into Royal's sides and led him into a canter. She wasn't quite ready to gallop yet, not with a new horse, and not when she was trying to show off. Her body bounced in motion with every lift from the horse and she removed one hand from his mane, extending it and allowing it to move against the air.

Henry grinned as she rode away from him, admiring her freedom and skill. He watched the way her long hair flowed behind her, his eyes following it down, over her back, to the jeans she wore. Biting his lip hard, he watched as her muscles flexed under the fabric, and he looked away when heat began to collect in the pit of his stomach. _What's wrong with me? She's practically my mom! Hell, she __**is**__ my mom!_

When Regina rounded the edge of the field, she let go of Royal's mane completely, tightening her thighs on his sides and holding both arms out. She let out a cheerful laugh, closing her eyes and tilting her head back just slightly.

Looking up at her laugh, Henry let out a strangled sound as he watched her. She was moving gracefully with the horse, her hips shifting in a subtle back-and-forth that had her body rolling and her breasts bouncing. His gaze narrowed in on that last detail, his mouth dry as he realized she wasn't wearing a bra. And his jeans were now starting to strain in the front.

Regina regripped the mane as she grew closer to Henry, slowing her horse to a trot as she approached him. Once she was beside him again, she gave him a smirk and asked, "Aren't you going to help me down?"

Henry's mouth opened and closed a few times as he stared at her, trying to figure out how to do so without revealing his arousal. "I… okay," he agreed, slowly sliding down from Atlas's back on the side away from Regina. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a deep breath, willing himself to calm before he rounded the horse and stepped up to Royal's side, holding his hands up to Regina. "I'll catch you."

Bracing herself with her palms flat on the horse's back, Regina pulled her leg from around his side so her hips were pressed against him. She slid down the horse, feeling Henry's hands grip her hips as she did. Once her feet were on the ground, she turned in his hold and smiled up at him.

The side of Henry's mouth twitched in an attempt at a smile as he stared down at her, pupils dilated with a lust he knew he should be ashamed of, but couldn't find it in himself to care about.

Regina found herself unabashedly enjoying his touch, and as her eyes caught his, she was certain he was pleased, too. "Thank you." The words came out as a whisper, though that hadn't been her intention.

Henry's gaze moved down to her lips, full and pink and so soft-looking. The scar threw him off for a moment, but as he looked back into her eyes, it ceased to matter.

Biting her lip coyly, she let her own gaze flicker to his mouth, his lips still holding a half smile. Regina released her lip and smiled easily, wanting to tell him he could kiss her, but fairly sure that was too forward for a lady.

After a long, heavy moment, Henry slowly slid his hands from her hips and took a step back, looking away and breathing deeply.

She cleared her throat once he let go of her and looked away, embarrassed. "Do you just sit here, then, when you come alone?"

Henry cleared his throat as well and ran a hand roughly through his hair. "Uh, yeah, sometimes," he answered, nodding. "Sometimes I ride. Sometimes I lay down and look at the pictures in the clouds."

"Pictures in the clouds?" Regina asked, scrunching her nose in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Eyes widening, Henry turned back to her. "You've never looked for pictures in the clouds?" he asked incredulously.

Shaking her head as she looked up at him, she said, "No. How do you do such a thing?"

Grinning, Henry grabbed Regina's hand and pulled her out into the middle of the field, forcing her to run to keep up with him in his excitement. "Okay, okay," he said, once he decided they were in the right spot. "Here, lay down." He did as he directed, laying on his back in the soft grass.

The action seemed intimate, but she lowered herself to the ground and lined herself up beside him. She could feel the heat from his arm through both of their clothes, and Regina forced herself to concentrate on looking at the sky. "Now what?"

"Now you use your imagination." Henry scanned the sky, then shifted so his head was next to Regina's so when he pointed, she would see on the same angle as him. "Like that one," he pointed at a large, fluffy light grey cloud. "That one looks like a dragon. See? The head, and the legs," he traced the lines with his finger. "And the wings, there."

It took her a moment, but she did see the dragon in the cloud. "I see it!" Regina said with excitement, giggling as she searched the clouds to find one of her own. After checking a handful of clouds for pictures, she leaned up on her elbow and looked down at Henry. "I'm not very good at this," she pouted. "I can't find any on my own."

"There aren't always pictures," Henry reassured her. "Sometimes you have to wait for the wind to blow the clouds around a bit."

Huffing, she rolled back down onto her back and tilted her head for a different angle. Regina shifted her hand slightly and let her pinky brush against Henry's, then bit back a smile.

Henry didn't hide his grin, his ears warming as he quickly hooked his pinky around hers.

"I like this game," she murmured, her eyes still watching the sky as she tried to concentrate on finding an image. Regina shifted her body just slightly so their heads were pressed together and sighed softly.

"Me too," Henry agreed in the same tone. He looked up at the clouds, not paying them any attention as he tentatively moved his hand further over hers, lacing their fingers together.

Turning her hand beneath his, she weaved their fingers together again and chuckled. "You have very soft hands."

Henry laughed quietly. "Thanks? I don't really do a lot of physical work, so they don't get rough."

"It's nice," Regina added, leaving the thought that crossed her mind of how they would feel should he touch her more affectionately than holding her hand alone.

"Yeah," he agreed, stroking his thumb over the back of her hand. After a moment of silence, debating with himself, he sighed.

Squeezing his hand, Regina leaned up again, looking at him with questioning eyes. "Are you all right, Henry?"

Looking up at her, Henry winced slightly, admitting, "I… I really want to kiss you."

Regina needed somewhere to look besides his beautiful green eyes or the curve of his lips, so she dropped her gaze to his shirt, focusing on his shoulder as she blushed. "I would not deny you if you did," she whispered.

"But you should," he said, looking away miserably. "And I shouldn't do it. There's… there's something you don't know. About… who you are here in Storybrooke."

Using her free hand, Regina cupped his cheek and turned his face back to her after lifting her gaze to look at his face. "Am I bad? Someone who should not be desired?"

"No!" Henry exclaimed, his eyes widening. "No, not at all. You're good. You're a hero. You're… you're my _mom_."

"What? But... that blonde woman... she's your mom?" she questioned, thoroughly confused.

"Well… yeah," Henry nodded. "That's Emma. She's… It's kind of complicated. Emma gave me up for adoption when I was born. And you - Regina… she adopted me. She raised me. I found Emma when I was ten, and she's been my mom, too, ever since. But… yeah." Biting his lip, he looked anywhere but into Regina's eyes. "But you're so… pretty. And… and I really like you. And I know that's so… wrong, but…"

Regina sat up, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She wanted to kiss him, she liked him, and she wasn't his mother _now_, not really. But the thought felt strange, and she rested her chin on her knees as she contemplated the news he'd just given her.

"I-I didn't want to… I didn't want you to think I was… using you or something," Henry said quietly, rolling onto his stomach and staring down at the grass. "If you found out after, I mean."

"I understand," she offered softly. Sighing, Regina turned over to copy his position on the ground and began picking at the grass. "I guess I'm just confused."

Henry let out a mirthless laugh. "Join the club." He stacked his fists and rested his chin on the top one, tilting his head slightly to watch Regina. "It's so weird."

"I've met dozens of princes before, countless numbers, really, and I've never liked a single one of them as I like you," Regina explained. She rested her arms against the ground, elbows bent with one hand on the other and laid her cheek on top of her hands. "I feel as though I shouldn't like you anymore, now that I know who you are to me. But I do and I don't know what that means."

"Me too. I mean… I knew who you were from the beginning," Henry said. "But at first, it was just, I don't know, like you were a long-lost relative or something. But then… Helping you with your dress, and watching you ride… You're really hot," he blurted out on a loud sigh.

Chuckling, she shook her head and smiled. "I'm certain you don't mean my temperature, but I cannot, for the life of me, understand what you mean by that."

Henry's face heated. "Uh… it-it means that, um… looking at you makes my temperature go up," he explained awkwardly.

"Oh. Oh," she said, holding the word the second time she spoke it, finally understanding what he meant. Her cheeks flushed and she looked back to the ground. "You make my stomach feel funny."

Flexing his fingers slightly, Henry slowly asked in a shaky whisper, "Can I… can I kiss you?"

Regina looked at him with such uncertainty that it nearly caused her pain, but she whispered back, "Would it make me bad if I say yes?"

"Does it make me bad that I asked?" Henry gave her a little wavering smile.

"I think... not." Dropping the pieces of grass she'd picked from the ground, Regina turned her face more, pushing back up so her weight rested on one elbow again, her other arm laying lazily along her body.

Henry mirrored her position, but moved his free hand to her cheek, stroking it lightly. "Have you… kissed anyone before?"

She tilted her cheek into his touch as she shook her head. "No. H-have you?"

"No," Henry murmured back. He licked his lips quickly and rolled them together before slowly leaning forward, pressing his mouth to hers.

Regina sighed softly as soon as his lips were against hers and leaned into him. She didn't know what to do or how to react, so she decided to wait for him to lead. Keeping their mouths together, she cupped his cheek tenderly.

Henry moved his lips slowly over hers, shifting closer and curling his fingers around the side of her neck.

She followed his lead, forming her lips to his own. Regina let out a soft whimper as he pulled her closer, but she wanted more - of what she couldn't be sure.

Sliding his hand down Regina's back, Henry brought her flush against him and carefully brushed his tongue against her bottom lip.

The action took her by surprise, but it was pleasant and warm, so she copied him, hesitantly sliding her own tongue out, meeting his. Regina moved her hand from his cheek to wrap her arm around his neck.

Henry groaned quietly as their tongues slid together, and he shifted slightly, tilting Regina more onto her back so he was propped up over her.

She was pleased at his initiative, taking the action she had wanted to do herself, so she let her body move so her back was flush against the grass. Regina pulled him closer, exploring his mouth with their kiss as she used her free arm to wrap around his waist, her hand fisting the back of his shirt.

Breaking the kiss long enough to whisper, "You're so beautiful," and press against her, despite knowing that she would probably be able to feel his growing arousal, Henry captured her lips again, pushing his tongue into her mouth and learning the contours.

Moaning into his mouth, Regina tried to get a grip on her sanity. She was like putty in his hands, but she couldn't find it in herself to care. When she felt him hard against her hip, Regina pulled back and bit her lip. "I really like kissing you, Henry," she whispered, her eyes searching his.

"I like kissing you, too," Henry whispered back a little breathlessly, bringing his hand up to run his fingers through her soft hair.

A little worried about the message she was sending, Regina bit her lip and furrowed her brow. "I... I'm not ready for... for much more than kissing, though," she warned quietly.

Henry let out a small, inadvertent laugh. "That's okay," he assured her. "I'm not, either. I just… _really_ like kissing you." He bit his lip a little shyly.

Nodding, Regina smiled. "The kissing is good. I _really_ like it, too," she murmured, letting him know he wasn't the only one aroused, despite the ease of hiding such things for women.

Henry physically felt his eyes dilate at her soft confession, and he groaned, kissing her again.

Bringing both of her hands to the back of his head, Regina held him closer and kissed him deeper. She didn't care who she was to him in the future; something that felt this good couldn't possibly be wrong.

Sliding a hand to Regina's waist, Henry was about to slip his fingertips under the edge of her shirt when his phone went off in his pocket, and he pulled away, groaning.

"What's that sound?" Regina questioned, disappointed at the interruption.

"That's my phone, sorry." Henry sat up, taking a calming breath and running his fingers through his hair before digging out his phone and answering it before it went to voicemail. "'Lo?"

"Hey, kid," Emma greeted. "How's it going with baby Regina?"

Regina's voice came through the line, muffled by her distance from the phone. "I told you not to call her that."

"Uh, it's fine," Henry said, blushing and shooting a glance at the girl in question. "We went riding and are chilling out at the field."

"Okay, well there's a storm coming, and Regina made lunch, so you might want to get back now."

Surprised, Henry looked up at the sky. The puffy, light grey clouds had darkened and thickened since he last looked, and they looked like they would break open at any second. "Okay, we'll be there soon."

"All right, kid. See you soon."

"Yeah. Bye, Ma." Henry hung up with a small sigh. "I think we're gonna get wet," he said, just as a fat raindrop landed on his nose.

Regina blushed and looked at the sky before she felt the rain. "That's okay. I love the rain. Storms carry one of my favorite smells."

Henry grinned widely. "Like wet grass and trees and a little bit of that smell when lightning cracks?" he asked. "I like storms, too. I was afraid of them when I was a kid, but-" he cut himself off, thinking of the day his mother had taken him into the back yard, holding him comfortingly and explaining what each noise and flash of light was as they sat in the rain. "I grew out of it," he finished a little lamely.

"The only thing I'm afraid of is my mother," Regina said softly. She didn't want to get too distracted by him again, so she pressed her hand against his chest. "I guess we should go."

Standing up, Henry held out his hands for Regina, pulling her up with him. "Why don't we see if Royal will let me ride him with you? Atlas will follow if he's told, he's good like that."

Nodding, Regina made her way to the bay horse, petting his face and speaking to him. "Can you trust me, lovely? Henry is really nice, and I trust him. Are you going to let him ride with me?" She held her hand out, taking Henry's into her own and tugging him to the horse. Holding his hand above the horse's nose, she waited, smiling when Royal pressed his nose to Henry's palm. "If he lets you touch the top of his back, it means he's okay if you ride him."

A little nervously, Henry reached out, stroking Royal's side, and then his back, before resting his hand there and biting his lip. "Waddya say, Royal?"

Regina smiled proudly. "I think he'll let you. Get me up first, though."

Henry knelt down to again give her a boost up, soaking the knee of his pants in the process. Once she was up and seated comfortably, he took a deep breath and hoisted himself onto the horse's back as well, settling behind her. And immediately realizing how torturous the ride back was going to be, as her backside nestled snugly against his groin. Before they started moving and he inevitably forgot about everything else in the world, he turned his head, whistling and calling, "Atlas!" to the gelding grazing a few yards away. The horse's ears twitched, and he lifted his head, trotting over. "Follow." Henry patted his thigh, then tentatively curled his hands around Regina's waist for balance. "Ready."

Leaning forward just a little to grip Royal's mane, Regina grinned at the warmth of Henry's touch. She dug her heels into the horse's sides and led him into a walk.

_Oh fuck. I'm fucking screwed. Fuck._ Henry bit his lip to hold back a groan as she shifted against him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, rather embarrassed that he was already getting hard. And they had a good ten to fifteen minutes before they got back to the stables.

Regina felt herself blushing at the new pressure against her backside and, slowing the horse, she turned her head to look at his as well as she could from their position. "Everything all right back there?" she teased, biting back the satisfied grin that was trying to curl on her lips.

"Fine," Henry's voice squeaked awkwardly, and he cleared his throat.

She was certain she couldn't handle the ride being as long as it had been on the way there, so Regina released Royal's mane and rested her hands on Henry's, tugging them to wrap around her stomach. "I'm going to go faster, I don't want you to fall off and hurt that pretty head of yours," she explained. Then, returning her hands to the mane, she dug her heels in harder, setting them off faster than they'd come.

Henry did groan then, directly into Regina's ear, and he blushed, knowing that there was no way she missed the sound, or his arousal pressed tightly against her. He didn't know which was worse, the slow grinding of the walk, or the pulsing pressure of the canter. If he didn't get a grip on himself, he was liable to make a humiliating mess of his pants.

Regina swallowed thickly, entirely too affected by his body against hers, his hardness pressed against her. But she couldn't let her mind wander, because she had to get them back safely before the serious storm started so Atlas and Royal didn't get spooked. She was able to cut the time nearly in half, and Regina slowed the horse once she saw the stables growing close.

By the time Regina slowed Royal's pace, Henry was breathing heavily, his forehead pressed against her shoulder. Every inhale had him drawing in her scent, which was definitely not helping his situation, and the temptation to kiss her neck was nearly overwhelming, but it did help a bit to hide his head.

Shifting forward slightly, Regina nearly whimpered at the loss of contact, but knew that it was what was best if they were to be seeing his mothers shortly. Once she directed Royal into the stable, she stopped him and waited, sitting there in the stillness.

The smell of the stables helped, and Henry slowly lifted his head and pulled his arms back from around Regina. After another moment and a slight adjustment, he slid off the horse's back, avoiding looking at the other teenager as he motioned behind him. "I'll get Atlas," he muttered, turning away, and clucking his tongue at his horse, leading the gelding into his stall.

She slid easily off the horse, dropping to her feet and gently tugging his mane to lead him into his stall. Readjusting her clothes, Regina checked the ground beneath Royal, then took a calming breath before she stepped out of the stall and pushed the door shut. She walked to Atlas' stall and shook her head. "You need to put more hay down. A heavy layer. Or a blanket."

"Huh?" Henry looked up distractedly, shaking his head a little. "What? Oh… hay… right." Looking around in confusion, he bit his lip.

Reaching for his hand, Regina wove their fingers together and pulled him from the stall. "Where do you get their bales of hay to feed them," she asked, trying to help him focus. "We need to hurry, Henry."

Henry had to think for a moment before the answer clicked in his brain. "Out back. There's a barn." He led Regina back out into the rain and to the barn, pushing the door open to reveal stacks of small square hay bales. He picked one up, looking at her expectantly, waiting for direction.

She nodded and gave him a soft smile. "That should be enough. We'll have to move him to make sure it's under his feet enough."

"Okay." Henry nodded, taking a deep breath and heading back to the stable, pausing only to close the barn behind them. He brought Atlas back out of his stall, leaving him with Regina while he untied the hay bale and scattered it around. The monotony, and lack of constant stimulation, helped, and although he was still aroused, by the time he finished, his higher brain functions had returned.

She watched him affectionately while she stroked Atlas' nose. Nobody ever listened to her, and Henry did, and that warmed her. When he was finished, she led Atlas back into the stall and looked up at Henry. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah," Henry nodded, taking a deep breath. He let out a half-chuckle. "Sorry, my brain is…" he trailed off. His brain was in his pants, but he wasn't about to say that.

"That's okay," Regina answered softly, walking to the doorway to the outside and turning to him. She could hear the rain pound against the rooftop, and onto the ground behind them, but she didn't care, she would wait patiently for him.

With another small laugh, Henry peeked outside. "It's really coming down."

"Yes. It's beautiful," she said. Regina held her hand out for him to take.

Henry took her hand and stepped outside, looking up into the rain, blinking rapidly as it fell on his face. After a moment, he looked at Regina again, and pulled her against him, pressing his lips over hers.

Letting go of his hand, she wrapped her arms around his waist, palms flat against his back as they kissed. Regina parted her lips against his, boldly sliding her tongue against his lip this time.

Groaning, Henry parted his lips for her and walked her backwards until her back pressed against the side of the stable. He ran his hands down her arms to her hands, and twined their fingers together before bringing their hands up over her head, pressing against the wall.

Regina whimpered at the action, slipping her tongue into his mouth, sliding it against his own. Her immediate reaction was to push her hips forward against his, but she hesitated.

Henry felt her hips stutter forward slightly, and he hissed, "Yes," into her mouth, leaning further against her, his arms bracketing hers against the wall as they kissed.

Tilting her hips further, she moaned heavily against his lips. She wondered for a moment if maybe she shouldn't enjoy what they were doing so much, but ignored the small voice calling her a stupid girl.

His erection returned full-force, Henry ground his hips against her, groaning into her mouth at the pressure and friction. "I want you so much," he whispered.

Regina pulled back slightly, looking into his darkened eyes. "We should probably go. Your mothers are expecting us," she answered quietly.

"I know." Henry pulled back, letting go of her hands and resting his against the wood, still boxing her in, but no longer touching her in any way. "I'm sorry. I just… I'm sorry." He exhaled hard, shaking his head.

Moving her hands to cup his face, Regina leaned up and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. "Don't be. It is rather flattering. I'm just not ready for that."

Henry nodded. "I know. I'm not, I'm not either. It's just… hard to think about that when I want… when I _desire_ you so much."

She smiled brightly, giving him a hum in agreement. "Perhaps then, we shall reconsider our time together and how we spend it," Regina teased, pulling him toward his car.

Letting out a little laugh, Henry nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He opened the door for Regina, waiting until she was inside before getting into the car himself, starting it and immediately blasting the heat as he realized he was shivering.

Once Henry finished fiddling with the buttons, she took his hand between her two, looking at him shyly through her eyelashes. "How long do you think it will take your mothers to figure out how they're going to send me back?"

"I don't know." Henry looked down at their hands and squeezed her fingers. "It probably depends on how you got here in the first place. But probably at least a couple days. They're good, but they're not miracle workers."

"That doesn't seem like much time," Regina said sadly. She didn't want to go home, she wasn't happy there. But she had most certainly had several happy minutes in Henry's hold since being in this land.

"Then we better make the most of it." Henry smiled and leaned over, kissing her gently. "Let's get back, I'm starving."

"Okay," she agreed, though it was reluctant.

"It'll be okay," Henry said, squeezing her hand again before pulling away to put on his seatbelt. Once hers was fastened as well, he pulled out of the parking area, heading back to the mansion.


	2. Chapter 2

The house seemed much less wonderful upon their return when she knew that it required pretending she hadn't just had the best day of her life. But Regina didn't voice that opinion, instead staying silent as they arrived.

When they stepped inside, Henry whispered, "Take off your boots," as he wiggled out of his sneakers. "Being in socks is way better than being yelled at for tracking mud through the house, trust me."

Regina complied, tugging the boots off and setting them nicely beside the door. She looked to Henry for further direction, trying to force her shoulders and mind to relax.

"It'll be okay," Henry said quietly, smiling at her and leading her to the kitchen, where Emma and Regina were talking quietly.

Emma looked up as they entered, and let out a laugh. "What the hell happened to you two? You look like drowned rats."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Thanks, Ma. It started pouring right after you called, so we had to ride back in the rain, then Atlas needed more hay, so back out into the rain to go to the barn. Pretty sure the seats in my car are gonna take a week to dry out."

"I apologize for getting your clothes wet," Regina told her older self.

"It's nothing to be concerned about, dear. We'll get you something to change into," the mayor answered. "Henry, you'd better change, too."

"Yeah, I'm gonna take a quick shower, too. I blasted the heat all the way home, but I'm still freezing."

"Okay," Emma responded agreeably. "Baby Regina, you might want to take a shower, too. Don't have those in the Enchanted Forest, and they're glorious."

"At the same time?" she squeaked, eyes widening.

"We have multiple showers," the other Regina answered, giving Emma a glare.

Struggling to keep acting normal, Henry hiked a thumb over his shoulder. "Back in a bit," he said, and hurried upstairs to his room to grab clean clothes, then closing himself in the main bathroom, stripping and turning the water on hot, intent on taking care of the arousal that had been driving him crazy for over an hour.

Emma shrugged. "Hey, you find a less confusing way for me to address you guys other than Regina and Baby Regina, I'm all for it. Until then, don't bitch at me, Madam Mayor." She stuck her tongue out and grinned.

"We'll be back down in a few minutes," Regina told Emma. After finding a pair of thick yoga pants, a cotton tee-shirt, and showing her younger self how to work a bra, she set her up in the shower and made her way back downstairs to where Emma was in the kitchen.

Emma raised her eyebrows at Regina as she returned. "So how's she taking everything?"

"Seemingly well. She doesn't seem frightened or upset, so I take that to assume putting her in Henry's care was a good idea," Regina answered, rounding the island to put the finishing touches on the lunch she'd put back in the oven to keep warm.

"Yeah, he's a good kid," Emma nodded. "He'll take care of her. I… kind of feel sorry for her, you know? I mean, knowing what we'll be sending her back to."

Nodding, Regina hummed thoughtfully and turned to face the other woman. "I hate it. If it wouldn't screw up the timeline I would do anything I could to protect her from everything that's going to happen."

Emma sighed. "Yeah. This sucks."

Regina didn't want to dwell on her history, so she smirked and shook her head. "What do you suppose we should call her? Baby Regina is not going to be how we refer to her for the duration of her time here."

"Aw, take away my fun," Emma joked, grinning. "Well, there are always nicknames. Gina?"

"No. Absolutely not."

"Ginny?"

"That sounds like a name for a classless brat," she scoffed, rolling her eyes. "And if the next thing out of your mouth is 'Reggie' I'm kicking you out."

"You're seriously stifling my creativity here."

Sighing softly, Regina considered the few options. "Ree?"

Emma's expression turned considering, and she nodded. "Ree. I like it. Sounds like a noise a baby bird would make." She brought her voice to a higher register. "Ree! Ree!"

She shot Emma with a glare and chuckled darkly. "Did I say Ginny sounded like the name of a classless brat? I think I meant Emma."

Grinning, Emma shrugged. "Sorry. Mom's been trying to teach me how to talk to birds."

"Unsurprising." Pulling out some bowls, Regina set the biscuits on a cooking sheet into the oven. "Does Ree really sound that bad?"

"No," Emma chuckled. "It's cute. I think it suits her. Sweet and unassuming."

When she finished her shower, young Regina dried herself off and dressed in the fresh clothes she was given. She stuffed the wet clothes into the hamper her older self had pointed out, then braided her hair loosely. Stepping out of the room, she wandered down the hall to where she'd heard Henry earlier. Seeing a light beneath one of the doors, Regina knocked lightly and whispered, "Henry?"

Henry was just starting to get dressed after his shower when the knock sounded at the door, and he quickly pulled his jeans up, zipping and buttoning them before opening the door. "Yeah?" he asked softly.

Eyes widening and wandering over his exposed skin, Regina took a step back. "Oh. I-I apologize... I didn't mean to interrupt."

Henry couldn't help but grin at the way she was effected by his semi-nudity. "Hey, it's okay. It's not a big deal. In this world guys go shirtless all the time. But here, I don't want you to be uncomfortable." He grabbed his shirt from the counter to pull it on.

She looked him over, moving her hand to still his. "Discomfort is not what I am feeling, Henry," Regina said thickly.

Henry swallowed hard, his gaze flicking over her, before moving over her shoulder to make sure neither of his mothers were coming up the stairs. Then, he took Regina's hand and pulled her into the bathroom, shutting the door and pressing her lightly against it with his body. "What are you feeling?" he whispered into her ear.

Her breath hitched and she turned her face so her lips brushed his jaw. "I feel like it's a shame we were interrupted earlier."

"Mmm," Henry hummed, tilting his head to kiss her neck. "I agree."

Regina gripped his waist, sighing softly at the press of his lips. "Henry," she moaned quietly, rolling her lips together and wetting them with her tongue.

"I'm gonna kiss you," he whispered, "until your knees buckle. And then we're going to have to go downstairs and pretend it never happened."

"Oh, please do," Regina requested breathlessly. "How ever will I return the favor of such delightful misery?"

Henry chuckled darkly, lifting his head so their lips brushed together as he spoke. "It is a delightful misery for us both… one which you will be able to hide much easier than I." He pressed his hips forward, just in case she missed his meaning. Despite taking care of himself in the shower, he was already twitching in interest.

"Mm, are you certain some stolen kisses are worth the trouble?" she teased, tilting her own hips into him. Moving one hand up his chest, she gently scratched at his skin, needing to feel him, needing the reminder that he wasn't just a dream.

Shivering lightly at her touch, he murmured, "I would never steal from a lady. But should she grant me the gift of kisses, it would be worth any trouble."

With a flash of desire for him, Regina wrapped one hand around his neck and pulled him to her, pressing their lips hard together. The hand she still had on his waist pulled him harder against her, her body desperate for friction.

Groaning quietly, Henry immediately parted her lips with his tongue, taking command of the kiss as he ground against her slowly.

She let her jaw relax and moved her tongue along his. Having no idea what she could do besides hold her hips against his grinding ones, Regina spread her legs just slightly further before wrapping one leg around his, her ankle behind his calf, and hoped that felt as good for him as it did for her.

"Fuck," Henry mumbled, his hand sliding down to her thigh, lifting her leg higher as he shifted his hips, feeling her heat through their clothes.

Regina whimpered against his lips. Her body felt on fire at his touch and the pressure he was applying to her womanhood. She slid her hand into his hair, tugging at it as they kissed.

Henry's fingers flexed against Regina's thigh, his other hand stroking over her side, hesitantly moving toward her breast. Loud knocking on the door made him jump and freeze in place.

"Hey, kid, hurry up in there, we're starving!" Emma called through the door.

Taking a cleansing breath, Henry shook his head. "Be right out. I was just," his brain raced, "showing Regina some of the modern conveniences."

"Yeah, well, you can do that after lunch," Emma replied, her voice getting further away as she headed back downstairs.

Breathing deeply, Henry pulled away, stepping back from Regina and yanking his shirt on.

With a series of deep breaths, Regina smirked and looked up at Henry. "It seems your mother is very good at interrupting us."

"Yeah, she is," Henry muttered, shaking his head. "Okay, before we go down, a few quick things…" He looked around the bathroom. "Okay, these are toothbrushes and toothpaste, you brush your teeth so they don't rot and fall out, and uh, uh… medicine! Yeah, these are like cold medicines and fever medicines that make you feel better when you're sick," he babbled.

Regina took his hands and her smirk widened. "One you missed... a bra. Something your mother showed me how to use before my shower. No wonder you were so distracted today," she teased.

Henry turned red, looking down. "Yeah… Sorry about that. I didn't mean to stare at you."

Pressing a playful kiss to his lips, Regina shook her head. "I find that I don't mind you looking. It's nice to be desired by such a kind young man."

Henry grinned and took Regina's hand. "We should go back downstairs before Ma comes back up again."

"Okay." She turned and pulled the door open, stepping into the hall and pulling Henry along with her. "Whatever your mother is cooking smells absolutely wonderful."

"Yeah, Mom's a really good cook," Henry nodded, leading the other teen back down the stairs. "And her baking is amazing, too."

When they got to the main floor, Regina dropped Henry's hand and walked toward the kitchen. She stepped into the large room, the fragrance overwhelming her. "The food smells delicious," she said, looking at the other Regina. She felt weird calling her by their name, so she avoided that.

"Thank you," the older brunette said. "Are those clothes warm enough?"

"Yes, thank you."

"So we figured out something to call you besides Baby Regina, if you agree to it," Emma said, looking at the girl and jumping right in. "We thought maybe Ree would work."

"Oh... sure, Ree is fine."

"Henry, would you mind setting plates and glasses at the table? I'll fill the bowls in here, but take in some salad plates for the salad and rolls," Regina told him. "You can show Ree where to sit, too."

"Sure, Mom." Henry moved to the cupboard, grabbing a stack of plates and setting the glasses on top. "C'mon… Ree." He grinned, jerking his head toward the dining room and leading the way.

With a small smile to the older women, she followed Henry to the dining room. "Do both of your mothers live here?" Regina asked, slightly confused by the relationship between them.

Henry shook his head as he set out the plates and glasses. "Nope. Ma lives with her parents and little brother a few houses down the street. But when a magical crisis happens, you pretty much can't separate them, because their magic is so much stronger together."

"Oh." She should have realized it when they were talking near the apple tree, and when Henry explained how they would try to get her home, but her mind had been so preoccupied with thoughts and worries that she hadn't. Shaking her head, Ree stepped back, leaning against the wall, eyes wide and brow furrowed. "I use magic?" she gasped in horror.

Looking up quickly at her tone, Henry hurried over, his hands coming up to hover at her sides, unsure if he should follow through with his instinct to pull her to him in a comforting hug. "Oh, hey, no, it's okay, I promise. Mom's good, she doesn't use magic to hurt people. She helps protect this town, and Ma's the same."

"I don't understand. Magic is evil, it-it's horrible! I don't want to have magic!" Ree cried out, shaking her head.

_Screw it_, Henry thought, and wrapped his arms around her. "Shh, it's okay. I promise magic isn't evil. I **promise**. I know your mom hurt you with magic. That was dark magic, and you're right, it is evil. But my moms, they use light magic. Light magic comes from love, and it's pure and good. And my mom? She's really, really powerful. You know what that means? It means she loves really strong and really deep. She's not evil. You're not evil."

Emma slowly backed out of the room, not wanting to draw the attention of the two teenagers. "Regina?" she said in a low voice, looking troubled. "I think we might have a problem."

Looking up from filling the last bowl, Regina raised her eyebrows. "What's the problem?"

"I think they… _like _each other."

"What?" she asked, shaking her head. "Henry wouldn't... _she's me_, he knows better than that."

"Well, she's not _really_ you… she's just _going to be_ you," Emma pointed out, leaning against the wall. "But, uh… if you don't believe me, go take a look."

Regina wiped her hands off on her apron and walked to the dining room doorway, stepping through just enough to look in. She walked in just in time to see Henry holding Ree and Ree was looking up at him with a look of deep affection. Covering her mouth, she backed away and looked at Emma. "How the hell are we going to fix that?" she asked, pointing toward the other room.

"I'm not sure we can," Emma grimaced. "It's not like we can forbid them to see each other, that would just make it worse." Thinking for a minute, she suddenly looked up. "Hey, wait a minute. Don't you remember any of this?"

"No. I should... but I don't. Maybe... I'm not sure how this works, since present me has officially gone through this, but Ree hasn't, but perhaps we'll give her a memory potion?" With a sigh, she leaned against the counter and ran through the possibilities in her mind. "I don't know what else it could be, or why I wouldn't remember this. What I do know is that I've only ever looked at two people that way in my entire life - at least, romantically."

Emma nodded, her brow still furrowed. The rumbling of her stomach interrupted her thought process, and she sheepishly suggested, "Maybe we tackle the problem after lunch?"

"All right," Regina answered, nodding. "Henry, why don't you come help with the bowls!" She definitely didn't want to walk in on them like that again, it was already making her skin itch with the discomfort she was feeling. Then, moving back to the stove, she piled the biscuits into a basket and handed it, and silverware and napkins, over to Emma.

"I'll be right back," Henry whispered to Ree, squeezing her tighter for a moment before pulling away. "This is your seat, by the way," he pointed at a chair two away from the head of the table. It put her at the furthest point from the head, where Regina sat, but also had her next to him. Emma would be on the other side.

Nodding and taking a few calming breaths, she sat in the chair he'd pointed out to her. Ree was hesitant to believe him, but she trusted him, so she tried to allow that to ease her fears.

When Henry got into the kitchen, Regina handed him two bowls of the stew, telling him which was for him and which was for Ree. Picking up the salad bowl and her own stew, she looked at Emma. "Do you want to come back for yours or can you get it with that?" she asked, tilting her head to Emma's full hands.

"I got it," Emma nodded, shoving the silverware into her pocket and putting the napkins on top of the biscuits to free her hand for the bowl. She grinned triumphantly when she had everything.

Henry rolled his eyes and went back to the dining room, setting the bowls down and sliding into his seat.

Sighing and trying to shake off her worries, Regina stepped into the dining room and plastered a smile on her face. "Would anybody like a biscuit?" she asked, once she was sitting.

"Mother says I cannot eat bread," Ree answered, declining the offer and looking at the bowl Henry had placed in front of her.

"Your mother isn't here," Henry pointed out. "Plus, Mom makes the best biscuits." He grabbed two from the basket as Emma set it down, and dropped one on Ree's plate, grinning at her before splitting his open and grabbing his knife to slather it in butter.

Emma glanced between the three others at the table as she took her seat, unsure of how to react to anything.

"Ree, sweetheart, I eat bread almost daily, and we wear the same size clothing," Regina told her gently. "Cora isn't right about everything. Eat it if you want, but you don't have to, if you would rather not." She then scooped some salad onto her own plate and handed it to Henry. "Will you give Ree some, please?"

Quietly picking up the biscuit, Ree pulled it apart and put a small piece in her mouth, chewing and swallowing it. "This is delicious, thank you."

Henry beamed at her, subtlety clearly not his strong suit, and added salad to both their plates before passing the bowl to Emma.

"Eugh, do I have to?" Emma made a face at the bowl.

"Did you have a bearclaw for breakfast?" Henry asked. When his blonde mother looked away, muttering under her breath, he nodded. "Then you have to have salad."

Glaring at him lightly, Emma complained, "Traitor."

"You all act very nicely with each other. It's quite refreshing," Ree said, picking up the fork she'd been given. Setting her napkin in her lap, she started eating her salad.

Having Ree there was bringing back vicious memories of her mother and Regina let out a heavy exhale. Henry's obvious liking of her younger self was also distressing her and she cleared her throat. "The stew is chicken. I figured something familiar would be best."

Ree nodded and continued eating, staying quiet while she ate.

Henry glanced at Regina as he ate, and, guessing one of the reasons she was upset, said, "Ree, why don't you tell me something good about your life? Oh, I know! What about when you got Rocinante?"

"What's Rocinante?" Ree looked at him in confusion, folding her hands in her lap.

Tilting her head, Regina looked at the young brunette and frowned. She had definitely gotten Rocinante well before she was Ree's age. "Do you have a horse, Ree?"

"Yes! Her name is Majesty," she answered excitedly, her horse being one of her favorite things.

Henry looked at Regina, not quite sure how to react. Looking back at Ree, he asked, "But I thought… Mom had Rocinante."

Emma watched them with slowly widening eyes, beginning to wonder if the reason Regina didn't remember any of this was because they actually _weren't_ the same person.

"I did. I had a stallion named Rocinante." Looking at Emma, she said, "I think we need to talk to Ru - ah, Gold."

"Have I said something wrong?" Ree asked, twisting her fingers in her lap.

"No, not at all," Henry assured her, reaching over and laying his hand over hers. "It's just that Mom had Rocinante when she was your age, and if you have a different horse, maybe you're not really from her past… Right, Mom?" he looked to Regina.

"That's right," she answered softly. "But I'm not completely sure how that's possible, because so much of your past is the same. So we'll have to take a different route in figuring out how to send you back."

"But I don't understand. You obviously look like me, and... I... I was by my apple tree when I fell by yours."

Henry smiled at her, squeezing her fingers. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out." After a short hesitation, he looked back at Regina, asking, "Mom… if Ree isn't from your past… maybe… maybe we don't have to send her back?"

Emma glanced at Regina, then looked back at Henry, shaking her head. "Kid, I really don't think that's a good idea."

Hesitating for a moment, Regina looked between the two teenagers and at Henry's hand on Ree's. "Sweetheart, we have to. Even if she's not from my past, she's from somebody's."

"So?" Henry argued, frowning. "Mom, you _know_ what you'd be sending her back to!"

"Henry... is that the real reason you want her to stay?" she countered with a raise of one eyebrow. "Because any other reason needs to be nipped in the bud."

Stubbornly refusing to blush, Henry lifted his chin defiantly. "It's one of the reasons," he answered. "And any other reasons are my own."

Emma blew out a loud breath. "Kid… she's your mother. Or she will be, whatever."

"You don't know that!" Henry argued. "Obviously she's from a different timeline, you don't know what's gonna happen in it. Maybe I'm never born. Maybe _you're_ never born!"

"Look at her, Henry! How can you... how... she looks exactly like me!" Regina hissed, waving her hand at Ree.

"I'm sorry," the younger brunette whimpered. "I didn't mean to be so much trouble. Truly, I didn't."

Henry glared fiercely at Regina for upsetting Ree, and when he turned back to her, his expression warmed. "You're not any trouble, Ree," he said softly. "And you don't have anything to apologize for. Okay? You haven't done anything wrong, I promise."

Emma bit her lip, watching them, and looked at Regina, unsure how to proceed.

Gripping the sleeve of his shirt, Regina smiled stiffly at Ree, saying, "Please excuse us." She then proceeded to stand and pull Henry from his seat. "My study, now."

"It's okay," Henry told Ree one more time, before following his mother. Once the study door was closed behind them, he crossed his arms. "You didn't have to make her feel bad like that."

Resting her hands on her hips, she pinned him with one of her infamous glares. "What are you doing with her, Henry?"

"We like each other, Mom, and there's nothing you can do about it," he answered defiantly.

"Oh you can bet your ass there's something I can do about it! She's going to stay here, under my supervision, and you'll be staying with Snow and David. And if Emma and I are busy, you'll be under their supervision." Shaking her head, she brought one hand up and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Whatever feelings you have, push them down."

"Why?" Henry challenged, glaring just as fiercely as she had been. "Why are you being like this?"

"Henry... even if she isn't me, she _is_. She's the spitting image of me! How is that not even an issue for you?"

Henry's mouth moved silently for a moment before he accidentally blurted out, "Because it wasn't her face I was looking at, at first!"

"Oh, Henry..." Regina suddenly felt dirty, bringing her arms up to cross over her chest and dropped her head. "So what... she has an attractive figure so you thought 'hey, it's no big deal if I want my mom's doppleganger, because her body is hot'?"

Grinding his teeth together, Henry shook his head tightly. "It wasn't like that. I got to know her a bit, and she's really nice, and sweet, and… and I like her. And then when she was riding… She was _cantering_," he whined, "and she didn't have a _bra_! I'm a guy, okay, I noticed! And she liked me and we almost kissed but we didn't, because I couldn't, because I looked at her mouth, and she has that scar like you do and it was weird. Then we were looking for pictures in the clouds, and I told her I wanted to kiss her, and she said she wanted to kiss me, too, but I told her I couldn't, because you're my mom, and we talked about it and we decided we didn't care! We don't care, because we like each other, and we know it's weird, but she didn't raise me, she's not you. You were her once, but **I** never knew you like that. She's a totally different person to me."

She stepped closer to him and rested one hand on his arm. "I love you, Henry, and I never wanted to be like Cora... I never wanted to be the mother who tells you who you can and cannot love, but no, not her. We have to send her back. I'm sorry."

"No you're not," Henry growled, shrugging her hand off. "If you were sorry, you'd be trying to understand, not having some kind of existential crisis about it."

"You think I don't understand what it feels like? Trust me, I do! And yes, I _am _sorry, but if we don't send her back, it will mess things up _somewhere_."

"Maybe that's a good thing!" Henry argued. "She won't have to be with Cora anymore, and there'll be no reason to kill Grandma's mom, and she won't have to marry the king! Don't you want that?" he pleaded. "Please don't send her back to that. If I can't see her again, okay, but please, don't send her back to that life!"

Clenching her jaw and pursing her lips, Regina looked away for a moment. When she turned back to him she asked, "What happened between you two today?"

"We're both still virgins, if that's what you're asking."

"I will... do my best to consider her staying here as an option. But you need to understand if Gold tells us it isn't safe. Is that fair?" She wanted her son to be happy, more than anything, but this way scared her.

Henry thought about that, then nodded. "Okay. That's fair," he agreed, then hesitantly asked, "Can… can I still see her?"

"Let me discuss that with Emma. But you two, regardless of what we decide, are not sleeping in the same house."

Henry rolled his eyes, but agreed. "Fine."

"Please lose the attitude," Regina said, moving around him to open the door.

"Sorry," Henry sighed. "It's just… we already agreed that neither of us are ready, so…" He shrugged, stepping out of the study.

"While that's not all I'm concerned about, I'm certainly glad to hear you're not ready to have sex with Baby _me_."

"Please lose the attitude," Henry shot back.

Lifting her chin, Regina crooked her jaw and scoffed lightly. "You're pushing it, Henry." With that, she waved her hand to motion for him to go back to the dining room.

Henry returned to his seat, finding Ree staring intently into her bowl of stew, and Emma sitting with her chin resting on her fist, staring into space. "Hopefully the stew is still good cold," he said, breaking the silence.

Emma jumped, snapping back to the present. "Uh, yeah."

"You two didn't have to wait for us," Regina said, sitting down in her seat just after Henry. "And Henry, if you find it isn't warm enough for you, feel free to go heat it."

Wanting to break the tension, Ree smiled awkwardly and said, "It's very good, thank you." All she received from Regina was a tight smile and a curt nod, so she looked back down at her food and continued eating it.

Not caring at the potential for vocal disapproval, Henry reached over and squeezed Ree's arm, smiling at her before turning back to his own food.

With a sigh of disapproval, Regina muttered for them all to eat up so they could continue with their day.

Her built-in and well-bred need to satisfy the adults around her had Ree shifting awkwardly and refusing to even look at Henry. So far, this land had proved to be nearly as cruel as hers, with one more adult ruling her feelings unimportant.

When lunch was finally finished and the dishes cleared, Henry cleared his throat. "So, I'll take Ree over to Grandma and Grandpa's? We can spend the afternoon there, come back for dinner, then I'll grab my things?"

"Fine. I want to hear from your grandparents when you get there. No detours Henry, I mean it," Regina told him sternly.

Henry made a heroic effort to not roll his eyes and keep most of the sarcasm out of his voice. "Yeah, I know."

"Very well. Ree, I'm sorry for getting upset earlier. You didn't do anything... wrong. This situation is just confusing me," she said to the teen girl, trying to reassure her.

"I understand. Thank you for your hospitality." She turned, looking up at Henry for guidance.

"C'mon," Henry said, leading her to the front door and digging out a pair of Regina's flats for Ree to wear and slipping his own shoes on.

Stepping into the shoes, she hesitated and waited until they were outside, and the door was closed, to reach for Henry's hand. "Did you tell her about us?" she asked quietly.

"Yeah," Henry sighed, lacing their fingers together. "But she kinda already knew. So now I have to sleep at my grandparents' house until everything's figured out. But she said she'd consider not sending you back. I mean, if you want to stay." He looked over at her hopefully as they walked down the street.

"Really?" Ree asked, letting a bright smile curl on her lips. "I could... I could really stay here... with you?"

"Well…" Henry scuffed his feet slightly. "I told Mom that I'd stay away from you if I had to. Right now we're not allowed to be alone together. Either we're with my moms, or my grandparents. I think she's afraid we'll have sex. Plus, I think she thinks that if I'm attracted to _you_, it means I'm attracted to _her_, and that's, y'know, incest."

Looking down, she nodded. "I understand, I suppose. Her concern is reasonable, I mean, she's _really_ beautiful, more than my mother even, and she's always been praised for her beauty."

Henry pulled her to a stop and turned to face her, lifting her chin with a finger and smiling. "Hey. _You're_ beautiful. You're the one I'm looking at, not my mom."

Ree blushed deeply and gave him a shy smile. "Thank you, Henry."

Grinning, Henry took the opportunity to sneak a quick kiss. "Now come on… Mom will _know_ if we take too long to get there."

"Okay." She let him lead her to a house just a short distance away and she found she enjoyed the modesty of it, but scrunched her nose at how small it was. "Will they like me, do you think?"

Henry chuckled, thinking of Snow's fond memories of when she first met Regina. "They'll adore you." He led her to the front door and opened it, calling, "Grandma? Grandpa? I've got a surprise guest!"

David called that they were in the living room since he was watching a game. David turned his head when he heard footsteps grow closer, seeing Henry and Regina. "Hey guys," he muttered, looking back at the game. His brain took a second to realize something was off and he turned back around, standing up. "Regina?"

"James?" she exclaimed, surprised to see him in this foreign world. Then, frowning, she dropped Henry's hand. "You live here?"

"Uh, no, I'm David. James' twin," he answered.

"But James is an only child!" Ree disagreed.

"You knew Prince James?" Henry asked in confusion, knowing that his mother had never met the man. "And he's right. King George secretly adopted James, this is David."

Snow came in from the kitchen, drawn by Henry's initial call and the commotion. "Hey, what's going o- Regina?" She tilted her head in confusion.

"Uh, Grandma, Grandpa, this is Ree. She's… from another universe. Ree, these are my grandparents, Snow and David," Henry introduced.

"Oh. Hello," Ree said, smiling at them, then turning to Henry. "Of course I know James! He's my... well, I'm to marry him when he's eighteen."

David's eyes widening and he crossed his arms, turning to look at Snow. "She's not... the Regina you knew?"

Snow shook her head, surprised. "No," she said faintly. "When I met Regina, she wasn't betrothed to anyone."

"Well, that makes two differences between your world and my mom's," Henry said. "Anyway, uh, Mom wants you to call her. And she also wants you to like… chaperone us or something. And apparently I'm staying the night for a while. So… yeah."

Snow's eyebrows rose as she looked between the two teens.

Ree blushed and looked at the ground shyly.

"Why is it you need chaperoning?" David asked, though he could take a guess at Ree's blush.

Henry's expression turned slightly challenging as he answered, "Because we like each other and she doesn't like that."

"Oh," Snow breathed.

"Henry... she's from a different time... she hasn't been exposed to the things you have," David protested.

"I am no naive princess!" Ree insisted, dropping her eyes after raising her tone to an adult.

"We're the same age!" Henry exclaimed. "_Nobody_ has been through the things I have, so unless you're suggesting that I date… Ruby or something, that's a totally moot argument."

Snow stepped forward, patting David's shoulder as she passed him. Stopping in front of Ree, she dipped her head to catch the girl's eye and smiled. "You don't have to feel bad, honey. You're allowed to have a voice."

"I like Henry, he's nice to me," she said in reply, looking between the two adults.

"Well, you'll still behave as your mothers would expect you to," David muttered, wincing slightly in realization that Henry had a crush on a younger version of his mother, even if she wasn't exactly, she looked it.

"David," Snow reprimanded gently. "They're young and in love. Or at least on their way to it." Looking to Ree and Henry, she added, "Why don't you two go into the rec room, put on a movie, or play a game or something. I'll call Regina, and David will be here watching the game, if you need anything."

Henry's eyes widened in surprise, and he nodded, grabbing Ree's hand and pulling her from the room before anyone could protest or change their mind. "Cool, thanks, Grandma!" he tossed over his shoulder as they left.

Shaking his head, David looked at Snow once the two were gone from the room. "What are you thinking? I'm sure Regina has a reason for wanting them to be chaperoned."

"I ruined Regina's love once already when she was that age," Snow said quietly. "I'm not going to do it again."

"Well... then _you're _checking on them every half an hour," he insisted, sighing and sitting back in his chair. "We should send Neal in to watch a movie with them."

"You worry too much," Snow replied, shaking her head. "I'm going to call Regina, you just watch your game."

"Sure sure," he relented, doing his best not to think about what was going on in between the two teens.

In the rec room, Henry laughed quietly in surprise. "I have the best grandmother," he declared, grinning at Ree.

"She's very lovely," Ree agreed, smiling as wide as Henry. "I don't understand though... how are they your grandparents? They look the same age as your mothers."

"Uh, well, yeah, they are," Henry nodded. "It's a _long_ story, and… I probably shouldn't tell you, unless you get to stay. I don't want to influence your possible future."

"Very well," she agreed, moving to sit on the couch. Looking up at Henry, she rolled her lips. "What shall we do? And what is a movie?"

Henry bit his lip. "It's kind of hard to explain. I'll put one in and just show you," he decided, going to the movie shelf. Skipping over the Disney section, he grabbed one of Neal's cartoons that he liked, and put it on. He grabbed the remote as he joined Ree on the couch, tentatively wrapping his arm around her shoulders as he turned the TV on.

She moved into his hold, and when the screen started showing the movie, she lit up in amusement. "That's lovely! How does it work?"

"The pictures and sound are recorded onto the disk, and the machine plays it," Henry explained, shifting a little so he was half-slouched in the corner of the couch, Ree comfortably leaning against him. "Is this okay?" he asked softly.

Ree turned her face to look up and him and nodded. "Yes. It's perfectly wonderful."

"Good," he murmured, smiling at her and pecking her lips before looking back to the TV.

Leaning up, she pressed a soft and lingering kiss to his cheek, then followed his lead and watched the screen, resting her head in the crook of his arm.

Once Regina had gotten off the phone with Snow, Emma asked, "So… do you think this is really the best way to handle this?"

"Do you disagree?" Regina countered, both eyebrows raised.

"It's just… forbidden fruit," Emma explained. "You always want what you can't have, right? I just wonder if keeping them apart is the right move, is all."

"And it wouldn't weird you out? Watching our son make out with a younger me?"

Emma blinked, giving her a flat look. "Regina, it would weird me out to watch our son make out. Period. No matter who it's with."

"I just mean... it's _me_. It's uncomfortable." She huffed a breath and closed her eyes miserably. Thinking a moment, she looked back at Emma and shook her head. "I don't know what to do. I want him to be happy, more than anything. I just don't know how to handle it if that happiness comes from Ree."

"I know," Emma sighed. "I know it's weird, and uncomfortable. But… can we really tell him who he is and isn't allowed to like? I know what that's like, and I **know** that you do, too. I really don't want to do that to our kid. Because, I mean, they're the ones involved in it, not us. And they know what the situation is, too."

Dropping her head slightly, Regina cringed. "I know. I know that I don't want to tell him he can't be with whomever he chooses. I guess... I just need to make the rules they need to follow clear until we know if she can stay or not. Do you think it's wrong for me to keep them in different houses at night?"

"Hell no," Emma shook her head emphatically. "I totally agree with that one. Teens and hormones and all that? You **do** remember that I was their age when I got pregnant with Henry, right?"

Shrugging, Regina smirked teasingly and said, "Daniel and I kept it in our pants just fine at that age. Well, a year older."

"And if you hadn't been terrified of Cora finding out?" Emma challenged.

"Well... I never said we didn't do _anything_," she allowed.

Chuckling, Emma nodded. "Exactly. Hey, how far did you go with Daniel, anyway?" she asked curiously.

Regina smiled as she thought of him, remembering their far too infrequent encounters. "Heavy petting, mostly. I came once, grinding against his thigh, through our clothes, of course."

"You were never naked with him? Not even a little?"

"A corset and riding pants was the most naked I ever got," she answered sadly. "I was terrified of my mother ever finding us, and the less I took off, the less I had to worry about putting back on."

Emma's expression twisted in sympathy. "That sucks, I'm sorry. What about him? Did he ever take anything off?"

"Mm, yes. I was rather fond of his torso. He was a hard worker, with lean, strong muscles." Regina laughed and smiled. "He was very gentle, though. Touched me like I was the most precious thing in the world."

"Aw," Emma smiled. "That's good. So…" She shifted, glancing away, then back. "How did he… y'know… fill his pants?"

"Emma Swan! What a filthy thing to ask!" Still, she laughed again and shook her head. Finally, after a pause, she said, "He filled them rather nicely. If I could go back, knowing what I know now, he would most certainly be my first lover. Probably my only, the way things were there."

Emma grinned widely, laughing as well. "Damn, sounds like you had good taste."

"He was wonderful." Tilting her head in curiosity, Regina smirked. "Was Neal your first?"

"Ahhh…" Emma rubbed the back of her neck uncomfortably, kicking herself for not seeing the conversation turning around on her. "My first by choice," she finally answered.

Casting her eyes down, Regina cleared her throat. "I'm sorry."

Emma shrugged. "It's okay. Not your fault, and it was a long time ago. A lot of kids in the system have the same story."

"Partially my fault," she argued. "What was Neal like?"

"Not your fault," Emma repeated, and warned, "And don't try to argue, or I'll pull a Snow White and tackle-hug you until you give in. And are you asking what he was like when we were younger, or what he was sexually?"

Giving her a sad smile, Regina relented with a quiet hum. "Sexually, of course. I answered your questions."

Chuckling, Emma nodded. "Well, we were both young, so, y'know, in retrospect it was pretty bad, but of course we thought it was awesome."

"To be young and in love," she muttered, sighing again. "I suppose Henry deserves to be allowed that. He's still my baby, though."

"Tell me about it," Emma sighed. "I still look at him sometimes and see him like the first time. Both first times. The ten-year-old knocking on my door, and the baby placed in my arms."

"Do you think your mother is actually chaperoning them?" she asked as she rolled her eyes. "Gods know she never does anything I ask of her."

Shrugging, Emma replied, "No idea. She does have the whole 'love thing' so…"

"He said they're not ready to have sex, so hopefully he wasn't lying to me. As long as they don't go there just yet..." Regina let her sentence trail, uncertain of what else to say.

"He wouldn't lie about something like that," Emma said. "And besides, I can't see Ree having sex with someone she just met, even if she likes him. And Henry definitely wouldn't pressure her."

"They just... looked so smitten. They had less than half a day to get that way."

Shaking her head, Emma shrugged. "If this was any other town in the US, I'd say it's not possible, but this is fairytale town."

"All right. Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to give him this _joyful _news, since I was the one who was so strict with him about it," Regina muttered.

Emma smirked. "Go get 'em, tiger," she teased, swatting at the other woman's ass as she walked past.

Stiffening, Regina turned and glared at her. "You are very lucky I need your help with this situation, Swan," she growled. "Otherwise, you would be paying a very steep price for that."

Smiling innocently, Emma blinked in an 'I have no idea what you're talking about' way.

With a flick of her wrist, Regina use magic to towel whip Emma's ass with her dish towel, then smirked.

Yelping, Emma jumped, and stuck her tongue out. "Get out of here, go talk to our kid."

With a sly nod, Regina slid on her heels and headed to the Charmings'. When she got there, she knocked but let herself in anyway, finding David and Snow in the living room with the teenagers nowhere in sight. "Damn it, Snow! One request. Will you ever honor one request I make of you, in your entire life?"

Snow looked up, smiling at her. "Hey, Regina. Henry and Ree are in the rec room, watching a movie. I checked on them about… oh, I guess it was half an hour ago now."

"All right. I'll go check on them," she sighed, turning to go find them. Opening the door tentatively, she saw them close, but not doing anything she would deem inappropriate, so she walked around the couch to see them asleep with Ree in Henry's arms. Regina smiled softly, melting a little at how cute they were, then hesitated a moment before sitting on the coffee table. "Henry, Ree." She reached out, nudging Henry's knee lightly.

Henry hummed, blinking his eyes open slowly. "Mom? What's…" he trailed off, looking down at the weight against him. "We weren't do anything, I promise."

Ree shifted at his movement, waking slowly, her eyes widening when she realized how she was laying against Henry, with Regina right there. She sat up quickly, blushing and looking away from the other two.

"Henry, can I speak with you in the other room, privately, please?"

"Okay." Henry sat up as well, stretching and yawning. He took a moment to run his hand down Ree's arm, before leaving the room with his mother.

Leading him into Snow and David's room across the hall, Regina leaned against the dresser and faced him. "Close the door, please."

Henry did as he was asked, and immediately launched into an explanation. "I'm sorry, Mom, but Grandma said to go to the rec room, and she did check on us, and all we were doing was watching a movie, I promise, and we fell asleep, that's all."

"It's fine, sweetheart," Regina answered softly. "I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't respond very well to you two and that wasn't fair. You deserve better than that."

"Huh?" Henry blinked at her.

"You can have your time together, unchaperoned. But you will stay here at night." She looked at him with a timid smile. "I don't want to be the person who tells you that you can't be with someone."

Henry's eyes lit up. "Really?"

Nodding, she said, "Really. But I have conditions."

"Anything," Henry agreed immediately.

"I know you said you two aren't ready, but even if you think you are, you _cannot_ sleep with her. Not unless I know for certain that we can keep her here."

Henry nodded seriously, promising, "I won't. I want to make things better for her, not worse."

"Good. And... it's still going to be weird for me, so just be subtle around me. No kissing."

"I… don't really wanna kiss in front of you anyway," Henry pointed out, making a face.

"Well, then we're agreed." Regina pushed off the dresser, stepping closer to him and cupping his cheek. "You're growing up too fast for me, Henry."

Grinning, Henry shrugged. "Can't help it, Mom."

Shaking her head a little sadly, she nodded. "I know." Then, with a light laugh she added, "And you need to take her shopping. She can't look like me and wear my clothes and date my son."

"Why do _I_ have to take her shopping, I hate shopping," Henry groaned. "Wouldn't you or Ma be better for that?" His eyes widened as a thought occurred to him, and he declared, "I'm **not** taking her shopping for underwear!"

"Well, I doubt Emma would like that task either, and I don't want to! Perhaps your grandmother would. Although... oh nevermind, I'll take her in the morning."

Henry breathed a sigh of relief. "Thanks, Mom. You're the best."

"Just be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you."

"I am." Henry smiled and wrapped his arms around Regina in a tight hug. "I love you, Mom."

Hugging him back, Regina leaned up and kissed his cheek. "I love you, too. You can stay and finish your movie, just be back for dinner."

"We will. Thank you." Henry smiled, opening the door to head back to the rec room and tell Ree the good news.

She stopped to say a quick goodbye to Snow and David, telling them they could leave the kids alone, then headed back home a little sadly. Regina knew the moment Henry's face lit up at her permission that she would do everything she could to make it so Ree could stay.

Regina took Ree shopping first thing after breakfast, and while the choices in town were fairly limited, the teen had managed to settle on two sets of riding clothes and a handful of dresses, with a collection of sleepwear and casual clothes as well. Much to Regina's pleasure, Ree was more interested in cotton panties, cute and girly, but not overly sexy, and the bras she'd chosen were modest enough, too. Well, with the exception of one matching set that Regina was in denial over buying.

Ree changed into a royal blue empire waist dress that came just above her knees and had a v-neck with three-quarter length sleeves. It was modest, which Regina was happy about, yet somehow she'd forgotten how perky things were at seventeen and she still looked stunning.

She helped Ree carry her bags to the guest room, then told her she would hang everything up while Ree went to find Henry. The girl was happy enough to oblige and headed downstairs with a bright grin.

She found Henry in the basement, playing one of his games, one with little characters in cars that drove around weird roads. "Hello, Henry," Ree said cheerfully, walking around to stand at the end of the couch.

Henry looked up at Ree's voice, and his mouth fell open. Dimly, he was aware of a siren sounding in the game, indicating he'd fallen off the course. He didn't care. "Wow."

"Do you like it, then?" she asked with a small smile. Sitting next to him, Ree looked at the screen and chuckled. "I'm no expert, but I think you may be losing your game."

"It doesn't matter." Henry tossed the controller on the coffee table and turned to face Ree. "You look amazing."

She ducked her head and blushed. "Thank you, Henry. Your mother was very helpful, and it was very kind of her to buy me so much."

Reaching out, Henry took Ree's hand and smiled. "Don't worry about it, she's got, like, enough money for three generations of our family. I like that color on you," he added, and grinned slyly. "It brings out the pink in your cheeks."

"_You_ bring out the pink in my cheeks," Ree countered, smiling eagerly. "You seem to enjoy making me blush."

Henry shrugged a little. "When you blush, I know I've made you feel good."

Her cheeks went redder at the thought that fluttered through her mind and she looked down at their joined hands. "Your mother said she's going to see someone named Mr. Gold today, and other than that, she gave no instructions on how we should spend our time."

"Mr. Gold is my grandfather," Henry explained. "He's really old and knows a lot about magic. What do you want to do today?"

"Well... I wouldn't be opposed to more kissing, should you find that desirable as well," Ree murmured.

With a slow grin, Henry asked, "Do you think we can spend all day kissing?"

"I think we could give it a good try. Maybe if we get bored of it we can go horseback riding after. Or we can put on another movie and watch it once you tire of our kisses."

"Once _I_ tire?" Henry asked in offense. "I'll have you know, pretty princess, that I'm not going to tire of kissing you **any** time soon. C'mere," he growled, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her into his lap, claiming her lips fiercely.

Laughing against his lips, Ree brought her arms up to wrap them loosely around his shoulders as she kissed him back with deserving fervor.

Humming, Henry let one hand tangle in her hair, the other resting on her waist, holding her against him, and he parted her lips with his tongue, re-learning her mouth.

She tilted her head slightly, giving them a better angle as she moved her tongue against his. Her body warmed immediately to him, her muscles relaxing pleasantly at his desire for her.

Pulling back slightly, Henry nipped at her bottom lip, then flicked his tongue against it before moving his lips along her jaw to catch her earlobe between them.

Whimpering, Ree moved one hand into his hair, pressing him closer to her. "That is such a strange thing to have feel so good."

"Mmm," he hummed into her ear. "Lots of things feel good." He stroked his fingers over her side through the thin fabric as he moved down her neck, finding her pulse point and sucking lightly.

She gave a soft gasp, then used her free hand to undo the lowest button on his shirt. Pressing her palm against the skin on his stomach, Ree clutched tighter at his hair. "Is that okay?"

"Perfect," he whispered against her skin, gently rasping his teeth over the spot, then soothing it with his lips and tongue.

"Gods that feels wonderful," she sighed, pushing herself closer to him. "I-um... you can..." Ree left her sentence unfinished, unable to find a proper way to say what she wanted to.

"What can I do? Tell me what you want, Ree." Henry nuzzled the pink spot he'd left with his attentions, and made a note to suggest a nice scarf or something.

"I wouldn't mind if you touched me." If she wasn't already so flushed with desire, Ree figured she would have yet another noticeable blush creeping up her neck after she finished speaking.

Henry grinned, kissing up her neck, back to her ear and breathing, "I am touching you. Tell me _where_ you want me to touch you."

Flustered, she opened her mouth twice to answer without actually saying anything. Her third try was the charm and she finally moaned, "My breasts or my bottom."

Groaning, Henry nipped at her ear, sliding his hand up her side to cup one breast, stroking his thumb over it and feeling her nipple peak under his touch.

"Oh goodness, Henry. Yes, I like that," Ree muttered, arching her back and pressing her breast harder into his touch.

Henry rubbed her nipple more firmly, not quite able to catch it between his fingers through the fabric of her bra and dress. Shifting on the couch, he pulled her closer, his arousal pressing against her thigh.

Feeling him hard against her had Ree letting out a soft whine and she moved her hand from his hair and gripped his chin between her thumb and fingers, directing his mouth back to hers. She was bolder with her kiss, meeting his tongue with hers before he did.

Groaning into her mouth, Henry slid his hand from her breast, down her back to her ass, pulling her tighter against him and flexing his fingers as they kissed.

Ree, having decided turnabout was fair play, broke their kiss and moved her lips to his neck, grazing her teeth along the column of his throat before settling on the tendon beside the hollow at the base. She nipped at his skin, then closed her lips and sucked softly, breaking away before any real damage could be done to his skin.

Henry bit back a swear and clutched her tighter against him, whispering, "You feel so good, Ree."

He felt good against her, every part of him she could feel anyway, and despite her mother's voice telling her she wasn't behaving in one ear, she nodded and smiled. "I want to make you feel as good as I do."

"Trust me, you are," Henry assured with a breathy chuckle, biting his lip, then hers, kissing her deeply again.

She pressed her hand harder against his stomach, crooking her wrist up and putting pressure against the next button. When it didn't pop open, Ree brought her second hand down and popped open a couple more buttons, leaving more of this skin exposed.

"Ree," Henry groaned, his fingers twitching with the urge to move under her skirt.

"Henry," she groaned back, teasing him. "You have to _tell me_ what you want."

Letting out a raspy laugh, Henry replied, "What I _want_, I promised my mom we wouldn't do unless we know you get to stay here… plus, we agreed it's too soon."

Pulling back, Ree smirked and scratched at his stomach. "Is there nothing between what we're doing and... that?" She ran two fingertips against the back of his hand teasingly, just barely grazing his skin.

Henry swallowed hard. "There's, uh… there's a lot between them," he admitted. "I just… I don't want to… push you."

"I hardly think you're pushing if I'm the one asking, l just like how you touch me," Ree whispered.

"I like touching you," he whispered back. "Can I… touch you under your dress?"

Giving it a moment of thought, she nodded and grinned. "Yes," she breathed heavily.

Henry smiled eagerly, kissing her again and slowly dragging his hand down her thigh to the hem of her dress, resting there for a moment when he touched bare skin.

Ree giggled softly into the kiss, then pulled away and leaned her forehead against his. "I believe I already told you, but I do quite enjoy how soft your hands are."

"I enjoy how soft your skin is," Henry murmured back, and began his ascent back up her leg, sighing at the feel of her skin under his fingers.

"Henry?" she asked softly, uncertain if she should be so curious or open with him, but his touch was setting her skin on fire. "Can I ask you something?"

Henry immediately stilled his hand and met Ree's gaze. "You can ask me anything."

"What are the things between what we're doing now and sex?" Ree blushed immediately after asking, feeling very naive in comparison to him.

Taking a deep breath, Henry flexed his fingers against her thigh. "Uh, well… we could rub against each other, like we were doing in the bathroom? Only more. Or we could touch each other, um, between our legs. With or without our clothes there. Or we could," he swallowed hard, desire racing through him and making it hard to think. "We could kiss each other… between our legs."

Her eyes widened at the last mention, the thought sending a shiver of lust through her body, even though it seemed strange to her. "But... those things wouldn't make me... I wouldn't become... sullied?"

Henry reminded himself that she was from a different world, and her wording was not an offense to him. "No," he answered, shaking his head. "You would still be, physically, a virgin. If… if you have to go back, nobody would be able to tell."

Breathing out an "Oh," Ree bit her lip, then gave him a shy smile. "I would like to try something like that with you." She buried her face in his neck, hiding it from him. "Does that make me bad?"

Groaning loudly, Henry shook his head and slid his hand the rest of the way up her leg, squeezing her ass possessively. "It doesn't make you bad," he said, his voice strained. "But it _does_ make me really, really turned on."

"Turned on? Is that a good thing?"

"You tell me." Henry lifted his hips, pressing his erection tighter against her thigh.

Breath hitching, Ree realized what he meant and she nodded. "Yes. I like it when you're... turned on," she murmured, trying out the phrase.

Licking his lips, Henry stroked his fingers over her backside, asking, "Are you turned on?"

"I believe I am." She remembered what it had felt like when they laying in the grass the day before, his body against hers, and she bit her lip shyly. "Could we lay together?"

"We can do whatever you want," Henry assured her, stroking his fingers through her hair. "How do you want to lay?"

Ree leaned in and kissed his lips tenderly, before whispering, "I want to feel you against me, like in the bathroom."

Henry hummed, returning her kiss, even as his lips curled in a sly smile. Keeping his grip on her, he carefully shifted them on the couch so he was laying on his back and her thighs were spread over his hips. "Like this?" he whispered hotly, using his hand on her ass to pull her tight against him.

"Oh yes," she answered, leaning down to kiss him. "This feels very good." Ree gave a small wiggle of her hips, pulling back to watch his reaction.

Groaning, Henry bit his lip hard, automatically thrusting up against her and suddenly wondering if this was such a good idea. He was already _so_ aroused, he wasn't sure how long he'd be able to hold out.

"Henry, do you like this?" Bending her neck, she found his throat with her lips, kissing him softly while she remained mostly still otherwise.

"Yes," Henry hissed out on a breath, his eyes falling shut. He let his hand fall from Ree's hair, down to her shoulder, then dragging down her chest to cup her breast.

"And... it would bring us pleasure to rub against each other, you said?" Ree questioned.

Moaning, Henry nodded.

"And you're certain nobody would know but us?"

"Positive," he nodded again and rocked his hips.

Believing him, Ree began rocking her own hips against him, her head going fuzzy as they moved together. She let out a whimper, quiet and low.

Henry pulled at Ree's dress, until it was draped around them, but no longer an added layer between them. "You feel so good," he whispered, his eyes squeezed shut. "And I really like the sounds you make."

She leaned to kiss him, sliding her tongue along his lips and murmuring that she loved how he touched her. Ree then slid her tongue past his lips, searching for his in a desperate kiss.

Bringing his hands to her breasts, Henry rubbed her nipples with his thumbs as they kissed deeply, wanting, needing, her to be as close to the edge as he was.

"Henry," she whined softly, the added stimulation making her squeeze her eyes shut. Switching to suck on his bottom lip, Ree dragged her teeth along the flesh, tugging it away from his gums and releasing it.

"Yes," Henry sighed, squeezing lightly in response and lifting his head slightly to kiss her again. "I wanna touch you so bad," he whispered into her mouth, nipping at the tip of Ree's tongue when it reached out to meet his.

Ree pulled back and tilted her head in confusion. "You _are _touching me."

Henry shook his head slightly. "I want to touch _you_. Your skin."

"Okay," she breathed, nodding as she moved back down to press their lips together again.

Sliding his hands around her, Henry found the small zipper down her back, slowly pulling it down, giving Ree time to change her mind.

She appreciated the care he showed her, kindness she'd experienced from so few others. So, pulling back to look at him, just enough that his features weren't blurred from nearness, Ree gave him a sweet smile and said, "I trust you."

Henry smiled back, drawing her back down into a kiss before reaching to her back again, pulling the zipper halfway down and reaching for the clasp of her bra. He struggled with it, blushing as it took him a minute to get it undone.

Her heart fluttered anxiously, certain it would burst in her chest with the amount of feelings she was experiencing with him. She chuckled softly, kissing his cheek and whispering, "I'm very glad it was as difficult for you to work as it was for me."

Blush deepening, Henry grinned sheepishly. "It's my first time doing it, too," he replied, then pulled her dress off her shoulders, helping her remove her arms from the sleeves before sliding his hands over her skin, under the fabric of her bra until his hands cupped her soft, firm breasts.

Gasping at the touch, Ree arched her back, pressing her breasts harder against his hands. "That feels so good, Henry."

"Yeah, it does," he agreed, pressing his hips up against her again as he gently rolled her nipples between his fingers.

The friction of his arousal had her breath catching with every roll of her hips against him. She had never felt anything so wonderful or intense in her entire life and she told him that, whispering the words against his skin.

"I want you to do what feels good," Henry murmured as he moved with her. "I wanna make you feel so good…"

"This... this is so much," Ree choked, using her arms to help her move as much as anything else. She felt tightness in her belly, and while it felt good, she didn't know exactly what it was.

Henry pinched her nipples lightly and tugged on them, biting his lip and almost drawing blood in his effort to hold back. "Let it happen," he soothed, holding his hips up and grinding tightly against her.

Ree was about to ask what he meant when she felt something release in her body, her muscles tightening and tensing, pleasure radiating through her. She cried out, blushing immediately at her own volume.

Watching Ree fall apart broke Henry's self-control, and he groaned loudly, his face scrunching up in an almost pained expression as he jerked against her, releasing into his boxers.

Once she felt him relax beneath her, Ree settled her body against his, exhausted and breathless as she tried to recover from whatever had happened. She left one hand up by his head, her fingertips curling in his hair, her other hand resting against his chest.

Breathing deeply, Henry wrapped his arms around her, hands lazily brushing the bare skin of her back. "That was amazing," he whispered. So much better than taking care of himself, even if his boxers were sticky and wet now.

Looking up at him, Ree nodded and blushed. "I agree. But... what _was_ it?"

"That," Henry said, blushing as well but also grinning proudly, "was an orgasm."

"I've never felt anything so wonderful before. Does it always happen?" she whispered, scratching her nails lightly against his chest.

"Um, I'm not really sure," Henry answered. "Usually, at least here. But from what I know about the Enchanted Forest… it's usually just the guy who has an orgasm."

"I know that much. Well, sort of. Mother has informed me of my duties as a wife, and she said only trollops enjoy sex. It is meant for men and making heirs." Ree pushed up against him and looked into his eyes. "I... feel as though I should feel guilty."

Henry shook his head and brushed her hair away from her face. "Don't ever feel guilty for enjoying things that make you feel good." Pausing, he looked away for a moment, his cheeks heating. "Um… I kind of need to get up. I had an orgasm, too, and I need to change my pants."

"Oh! Forgive me," she answered, pushing up and moving off him. "I should probably get some clean clothes as well." Ree pulled her dress up, righting her bra and the dress. Running her fingers through her hair, she blushed when she looked at Henry, assuming she probably looked like a terrible mess.

Henry raked his gaze over her, groaning quietly and biting his lip. "It's not fair that you look so good," he said as he stood, adjusting his pants.

Shaking her head, she rolled her lips together and managed to keep herself from blushing again. "I doubt it."

"Don't doubt it," he protested, cupping her face and pulling her into a quick, deep kiss, before backing away to head upstairs.

Ree waited a moment, gathering herself, then followed him, passing his room to go to her newly offered room and changing into a new outfit.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma opened the door to the pawn shop, striding inside with Regina and calling out, "Gold! Get out here, we need to talk!"

The older man stepped from the back room, raising his eyebrow. "Polite as always, sheriff," he greeted. Looking at the other woman, he nodded. "Regina."

"Rumple," Regina offered, giving her own curt nod. "We have an issue with someone coming here from the past."

"_Maybe_," Emma glanced at Regina. "Her past is a little bit different than yours."

"Two Reginas?" Gold asked, his eyebrows raising. "Well hopefully the town's magical defenses are in place."

Giving Emma a glare, Regina muttered, "I didn't say _my_ past." She then looked at Gold and sighed. "This version of me, or whatever she may be, has a different horse than I did. And she's young, I haven't had exact confirmation, but I believe she's seventeen. She doesn't have magic, at least not that she can use."

"So we need to know how to send her back, or if the universe will implode if she stays," Emma summarized.

"'If she stays'?" Gold repeated, his eyes glinting speculatively.

"Yes. If it's possible, I'd like to keep her here." Regina tapped her fingertips on the counter pointedly and raised her eyebrows. "Will you be able to help us?"

"Perhaps," Gold nodded, picking up a dust rag and polishing off a teacup. "For a price."

Emma rolled her eyes, muttering, "Of course."

"Well, what is the price? Can't make an unfair deal without knowledge of both sides' requests," she said dryly.

"The price is simple," Gold stated casually, putting the rag aside and setting the cup down, chip facing outward. "Dinner with Belle."

"Oh my _god_," Emma muttered. "Okay, you realize it's been five _years_, right? She's moved on. From what I hear, she and Ruby are quite happy together. Also, speaking of Belle," here she looked at Regina, "why are we talking to Gold when most of the time we end up going to Belle for answers, anyway?"

With a side glance to Emma, Regina waved her hand towards Gold. "Because while the bookworm can look things up, I'd rather go to someone with the knowledge built in. I'd prefer to know sooner rather than later if she can stay." She gave Emma a look as though she wanted to convey her reason why without letting him in on it.

"Ah, right," Emma nodded, thinking of how Henry and Ree could barely take their eyes off each other the night before at dinner.

"So we have a deal?" Gold asked, pleased.

"We can't make a deal on someone else's behalf," Emma protested.

"What exactly are you wanting out of the dinner, anyway? I'm sure I could tie her to the chair, but if I recall correctly, you weren't fond of me the last time I held her prisoner," Regina answered.

Shooting her a glare, Gold replied, "I simply wish to have dinner with my wife."

"Ex-wife," Emma corrected.

"Do we have a deal?" he asked again, his smile more of a baring of teeth as his patience wore thin.

"Fine," Regina growled, wondering how she would make it possible. She hoped the woman's soft spot for Henry would urge her to agree.

"Excellent," Gold said happily, relaxing.

Emma shook her head slightly, looking at Regina from the corner of her eye.

"Now," Gold waved one hand with flourish, red smoke enveloping it as a book appeared in his hand. "I believe this has the answers you seek."

Huffing out an annoyed breath, Regina grabbed the book and slammed it on the counter. "If I wanted to look through a damn book, I would have gone to Belle in the first place!"

"The deal was dinner with Belle, in exchange for answers to your questions," Gold reminded. "Your answers are in this book. If you don't want to accept it…"

"No," Emma cut in, grabbing the book and Regina's arm before she did something stupid, like reach across the counter and try to strangle the Dark One. "Deal's on, we'll just take this and be going."

Regina jerked her arm out of Emma's grasp and curled her fingers into a tight fist mere inches from Gold's face. "You're lucky I've changed," she muttered, pinning him with a glare and turning to leave the shop.

"I'll expect Belle to be ready to be picked up at six," he called after them, smiling to himself and polishing the teacup again.

"Yeah, sure," Emma called over her shoulder, slamming the door behind her and eyeing Regina cautiously. "Okay, spitfire, what the hell?"

"You know he wouldn't have changed his price," she reasoned, sighing resignedly. "I'll do anything I can to make Henry happy, so we'll just have to get Belle to agree." Regina ran one hand through her hair and looked at the shop door. "You would think after so many years he would have changed already!"

Emma shrugged slightly. "You have to want to change. He still thinks he can stack the deck in his favor. C'mon, lets head to the library - talk to Belle and take a look at this thing," she indicated the book.

Regina nodded her agreement and got into the car, waiting for Emma to get in. She knew it would take persuasion, and she wasn't entirely against dragging Henry from his day with Ree to have him turn his puppy eyes on Belle if it came down to it.

When they got to the library, Belle was at the circulation desk, checking in books that had been dropped off throughout the day, and she looked up, smiling cheerfully. "Hello, Emma, Regina. Is there anything I can help you with?"

Emma shuffled awkwardly and gave Regina a look that clearly said this was her territory.

"We sort of made a deal with Gold on your behalf," Regina started, wincing at her own words. "But I can guarantee it was for a good cause."

Belle's eyes narrowed slightly, and she crossed her arms over her chest. "You made a deal with Rumple. On my behalf. What sort of deal?"

Taking the book from Emma, she set it on the counter and pushed it toward the other brunette. "We needed the answers held in this book, and dinner with you was the price."

Her mind racing, Belle asked, "Dinner with me, or dinner with _just_ me?"

Emma suddenly grinned, nudging Regina and noting, "She's good."

Regina allowed a surprised smile. "No, he didn't say just you. Good, now he can be the one toyed with since he didn't give us exactly what we wanted."

"All right, now that _that's_ sorted…" Belle turned the book around to face her, humming. "What answers are you looking for, exactly?" she asked as she flipped through it, scanning pages to get the gist of the information within. "This looks to be mostly about barriers between realms."

Leaning against the counter, Emma nodded. "Pretty much. Yesterday, a teenage Regina appeared. We assumed it was, y'know, Regina. From the past. Like time travel. But we found a difference between them. Ree - baby Regina, since Regina gets pissy when I call her that - had a female horse named Majesty, and Regina had a male horse named… something Spanish-sounding. So we're thinking that Ree is from a different universe, and we want to know if she can stay without screwing things up."

"We obviously know it won't mess up things here, I just don't want to set off some issue in another universe," Regina added. "So if it's at all possible, we need to know."

"Hm…" Belle continued flipping through the book, pausing occasionally to read certain parts more closely. "My instinct says that of course it will _change_ things, just like if she'd gone through a portal to another realm in her own universe," she murmured, half to herself. "But is there some kind of balance that it will upset…? I'll have to study this some more and see what I can find." Looking up, she tilted her head at the two women. "Can I ask why you want her to stay?"

"We don't want to send her back to a life that's going to hurt her, and she and Henry are crushing pretty hard on each other," Emma answered.

Belle blinked. "Oh."

Regina nodded. "And while I don't necessarily like it, Henry wants her here, and I want him to be happy."

Giving her a pretty smile, Belle softly replied, "That's very nice of you, Regina. Give me a few hours to study this, and I should have a better idea. Perhaps you can put together a large family dinner to invite Rumple to?"

Smirking, Emma nodded. "We can do that… us, my parents, you guys… oh yeah."

"He wants you ready at six," Regina informed her with a nod. "We really appreciate this, Belle."

"Don't worry about it. We're friends and family," Belle replied, waving them off.

"We'll text with the dinner details," Emma told her, before heading back out to the car.

Regina and Emma had agreed to give Henry and Ree the news the next day after they both finished work. When she got home, Emma hadn't arrived yet, so she headed to the basement, stepping slightly heavier than normal to allow for any pulling apart that might need to happen. Much to her pleasure, she found Ree and Henry sitting beside each other on the couch, each holding a wii remote in their hands and concentrating hard on the screen in front of them, so she paused on the steps and watched them for a moment.

"Henry! I'm telling you, no dragon looks like that!" Ree exclaimed, laughing happily at the game.

"How do you know?" Henry challenged, laughing. "Have you **seen** a dragon?" The thought occurred to him that she actually might have, and his eyes widened. "_Have_ you seen a dragon?" he fairly squeaked.

"Of course I have! They occasionally plague the different kingdoms until a warrior is brave enough to fight and try to kill it," she answered easily, like it was the most natural thing in the world.

"That's so cool," Henry breathed, turning to press a quick kiss to her lips. As he pulled away, he noticed Regina standing on the stairs, and blushed. "Uh, hi, Mom," he greeted sheepishly.

Regina moved deeper into the room and smiled. "Hello, you two. Did you have a good day?" she asked. "I see Mario Kart was attempted."

"Yes," Ree answered, giving a smile of her own. "And I'm terrible at it."

"You've improved," Henry pointed out. "Last game, you made a full lap!"

"Out of three!" she countered, laughing easily.

"Henry's been beating me at that game since he was five, I wouldn't be too worried about how good you are, he'll still win," Regina said, remembering the day she'd brought the system home. She moved to sit on an armchair near the couch. "Emma and I have to discuss something with you two before dinner, as soon as she gets here."

"Is everything okay?" Henry asked, finally pausing the game, since neither of them were paying it much attention now.

Nodding, Regina offered him a weak smile. "We got some answers yesterday, but let's wait until Emma is here."

On cue, they heard the front door open and the heavy, shuffling steps of the blonde. "Where are you guys?" Emma called.

"Basement!" Henry hollered back, and Emma made her way down, flopping down on the couch with the teens.

"Sometimes I hate my job," she groaned, rubbing her face.

"What now?" Regina groaned. She was utterly amazed at how many inane things the people in town could manage.

Ree shifted slightly, so she could look at both women more comfortably, and the change left her back settled against Henry's shoulder and arm, making her blush in the presence of his mothers.

"Some of the younger former Lost Boys decided to relive their glory days," Emma sighed. "I spent all day chasing after delinquents with spray paint cans and baseball bats."

Henry wrapped his arm comfortably around Ree. "The Savior can't handle a few teenagers?" he teased.

Emma shot him a look, grousing, "I'm _so_ not in the mood for lip, kid."

"Is there much damage?" Regina asked automatically. She hardly wanted to deal with fixing more property.

"Couple windows," Emma answered. "Mostly spray painted insults and 'gang tags'. I wrote a report," she added proudly. "That's why I was late."

"Look at you, only took six years as Sheriff to get you to do your job right," Regina teased.

"Not all of us had three decades of unchanging monotony to perfect our career," Emma shot back.

Henry's brow furrowed slightly, and he glanced at Ree. "Uh, Ma?"

Looking at the teens, Emma added, "Oh yeah. Did you tell them, Regina?"

Shaking her head, Regina told her she hadn't yet. "I was waiting for you."

"Do I have to go back?" Ree asked softly, hoping she wouldn't. But things in her past had proven that she didn't get her way often.

Straightening from her slouched position, Emma met Henry and Ree's gazes. "Well, we talked to Belle last night. As far as she can tell from the book we got from Gold, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to stay here."

"Really?" Henry asked excitedly, lighting up at the news.

"We cannot guarantee it, Henry, so don't get your hopes up too high," Regina answered. "There's still a possibility that however Ree got here will take her back, but as long as that doesn't happen, yes, Ree, you can stay."

Ree nearly squealed with delight upon hearing Regina's answer. "That's wonderful! Just the possibility that it can work out... thank you!"

Letting out a happy, disbelieving laugh, Henry wrapped both arms around Ree and hugged her tightly. "Do you know… Is there… I dunno, a limit? On when she can be taken back?" he asked, looking between his mothers. "Like, could she be here for years and then one day she's not?"

"The magic can only linger a week. Give it until Monday, though, and if we find she's still here come Monday night, I think it'll be safe to say it's permanent," Regina answered.

Biting his lip, Henry looked at Ree, his eyes warm and affectionate. "You get to stay," he whispered. "And after next Monday, you get to stay forever."

Emma's eyebrows rose slightly, watching the teens curiously, surprised that she wasn't disturbed by them, despite Ree's resemblance to Regina.

Ree gave Henry a wide, affectionate smile. "And I won't have to marry James. You and I could be together."

"I'm sorry- James?" Regina's interest was piqued.

Henry glanced at his mother. "Oh yeah… we forgot to tell you about that, didn't we?"

"About what, kid?" Emma asked, leaning forward.

"We found another difference. Ree is supposed to marry Prince James when he turns eighteen."

Furrowing her brow, Regina let out a soft sigh. "Well, hopefully we won't have to worry about that."

"I know I already expressed my appreciation, but it is worth noting again," Ree said, looking between both women as she found Henry's hand with her own.

"It is," Henry agreed, nodding. "Thanks, Moms. You're the best."

"We just want you to be happy, kid," Emma replied, shrugging. "And, you know, if the universe has to be rearranged to do so, well…"

"Does this mean I can move back into my room?"

Regina caught Emma's eyes quickly, rolling her lips together. "Until we figure something else out, I suppose that's fine. But Henry, I do hope I won't need to remind you of the rules."

Blushing as he thought about some of the experimenting he and Ree had done that didn't actually break the rules, but definitely bent them at odd angles. "I know, Mom," he mumbled.

"And that's my cue to run before I get roped into giving someone The Talk," Emma declared, standing. "See ya, kid, Ree. I'm right down the street if you need me."

"I'll walk you up, traitor," Regina mumbled, figuring the two teens would want an unsupervised moment of happiness at the news.

When both adults were gone, Ree turned so she was facing Henry completely, one leg brought up and bent, knee pressing to the back of the couch. "I get to stay!" she murmured cheerfully.

"You do," Henry agreed giddily. "I'm so glad. I hope the magic doesn't take you back. I don't want you to marry James."

"I suppose he's handsome enough," she teased, squeezing his hands in her own.

Henry made a face. "He's my great-uncle!" he complained, pulling on Ree's hands so she fell against him.

Laughing, she buried her face against him and kissed his neck. "I don't want to be with anyone who isn't you." It took her a moment to realize what she'd said and she tilted her face to look up at him. "I mean... not that I expect... anything."

Smiling a little shyly, Henry shrugged his shoulders and admitted, "I don't wanna be with anyone else, either."

"Good." Ree moved one hand to the back of his neck and, pulling him down to her, pressed a soft, sweet kiss to his lips.

Henry sighed happily, kissing her back gently, before pulling back and resting his forehead against hers. "I think this is the best day of my life."

Nodding, she brushed her nose lightly against his and smiled. "Me too," Ree paused, moving both her hands to his waist. "I want to celebrate without your mothers nearby. I want to kiss you without worry of being interrupted."

"We can go to the park after dinner," Henry suggested. "Or go for a drive. Whatever you want."

"Either one. Both sound lovely." She grinned then, intent on making him blush. "Or we could go for a ride on Royal. I know how much you enjoyed that."

As intended, Henry flushed bright red, mumbling that she was trouble.

"I believe you've told me that before." Ree grinned at him, eyes bright and playful. "I do want to go riding again soon, though. Your mom got me some of my own riding clothes to wear, too."

"More jeans?" Henry asked hopefully.

She shook her head. "Do you know what jodhpurs are?"

"Are they tight?" It was his only real concern.

"Oh yes," Ree answered teasingly. "They are made of cotton back home, but here your mother told me they're mostly made of something called spandex."

Henry let out a sighing groan, biting his lip and muttering, "I'm going to have to bring extra pants when we go riding."

"I think you should not bite your lip so much."

Tilting his head curiously, Henry asked, "Why?"

"If _you_ keep biting it every time I say something you like, it won't be as soft when it's my turn," she answered, twisting her lips in a mischievous smirk.

"Jesus," Henry sighed, letting his head fall back against the couch. "You are _so_ much trouble."

Ree moved to settle her body against his, cuddling under his arm as she lifted it and pillowing her cheek against his shoulder. "It seems as though you like trouble, Henry."

Henry grinned, shrugging the shoulder she wasn't resting on and kissing the top of her head. "It runs in my family. But you know what I like more than trouble? You."

"Such flattery." She tilted her head up, kissing the corner of his jaw. "What do you think your mother will do about where I live, should this work out that I can stay?"

"I'm not sure," Henry answered honestly. "She'd probably want you to stay here, but she's pretty obviously uncomfortable with us sleeping under the same roof."

Humming, Ree nodded against him. "To be fair, she may have reason to be."

"Well… yeah," Henry agreed. "But really, if we're going to, y'know, _do stuff_, it's not like it has to be at night. Obviously."

"Perhaps she just doesn't like the thought of us doing anything when she's just down the hall. I imagine she just doesn't want to think of her son doing such things, and the option of us being just rooms away from her and sneaking to be with each other just scares her."

Henry nodded, agreeing, "That could be it. Sometimes she seems pretty adverse to me growing up."

Sighing sadly, Ree moved in closer to him, bending her knees and bringing them up. "My mother would have had me wed at sixteen if she could have found an heir to the throne so readily."

Frowning, Henry tightened his hold on Ree, holding her protectively. "I'm not gonna let you go back," he declared. "I don't care if the magic tries to take you back. It's not getting you. You're staying here, where you can do what you want and be with who you want."

"Not that I don't appreciate it, because I truly do," she started, her curiosity getting the best of her. "Your mothers didn't seem too pleased with the thought of me staying, initially. Why do you think they want to make sure I get to, now?"

Flushing a little, Henry looked at the ceiling, licking his lips. "They know you make me happy," he answered softly. "And they want me to be happy."

"They're very good to you," she said, her tone matching his.

"Yeah, they are," he agreed, smiling. "They're the best. I just wish they could both find someone to make them happy."

"Why have they not? They're both beautiful, strong women, I can't imagine why they would have a hard time."

Henry shrugged. "Dunno. Ma had a boyfriend for a while, but then she broke up with him because he was an asshole, and he left town. Mom had a boyfriend, too, but… stuff got complicated, and they're not together anymore."

"It's a shame everyone can't find someone who makes them happy," Ree sighed. Any further words she was considering saying were interrupted by Regina's call from the door to the main floor, telling them to come up for dinner. Standing, Ree held her hand out to take his.

Taking Ree's hand, Henry stood as well, pecking her lips before they went upstairs and had to behave.

She returned the kiss, giving him one of her own as well and following Henry as he led her up the stairs.

After dinner was finished, Henry let Regina know that he was going to take Ree out for a drive, and after getting a stern look and a direction to drive, not park, they left the house.

As Ree rounded the car, she looked at him quizzically. "Why aren't you allowed to park?" she asked innocently.

"It's slang," Henry explained, grinning. "It means to like, have sex in the back seat."

She looked at the back seat when they were both in the car and frowned. "It's awfully small back there. Do people really do that?"

"Yep," Henry nodded. "I was conceived in the back seat of Emma's car," he told her. "And hers is smaller than mine."

Eyes widening, Ree gave out an awkward chuckle. "Does your mother think I'm so easy?"

Henry shook his head quickly. "No, of course not! She knows what you're like, she was you." Pausing, he considered that, thinking aloud, "I wonder if that means she would've… ew, no, not going there."

"It's easy to forget that she was once me. I know I don't know her very well, but she seems very strong where I am weak," Ree muttered, twisting her fingers together and pulling at them.

"Hey," Henry said softly, reaching for her hands, both to calm her, and to stop the movement that reminded him of his mother. "You're not weak, not at all. You just don't know your strength because it hasn't been tested. My mom's been through a lot. After Monday, I'll tell you about it, if you want."

Taking his hand between both of hers, Ree nodded in agreement. "I would like that." She looked of the window for a long moment, then turned back and smiled at him. "This is kind of relaxing. Just riding around."

"It really is," Henry agreed. "It's been one of my favorite things to do, since I got my license. And go up to the overlook."

"Oh? That sounds like something that involves parking, Henry," she teased, watching his face with a light smile.

Sighing in mock-exasperation, then grinning, Henry glanced over at her. "It involves bringing the car to a stop and putting it in park, yes."

Ree laughed brightly at him, squeezing his hand. "Well, I certainly won't be complaining, I'm sure."

"Okay then." Henry nodded, turning the car down a sidestreet to make his way to the bluff that overlooked the town.

"But if we get caught, you have to take the blame. We mustn't have your mother hating me." She smirked playfully, her eyes shining.

Chuckling, Henry nodded, replying, "That's fair. After all, I'm the city boy seducing the medieval girl, of course I'm to blame."

Nodding, Ree said, "Yes. I have been entirely innocent this entire time."

Snorting, Henry rolled his eyes. "Innocent. Riiiiiight."

She softened her smirk into something more tender and caressed the back of his hand with her fingertips. "I know I haven't known you long, but I do really like you, Henry. It scares me a little."

"Don't be scared." Henry pulled up to the bluff and stopped the car, then turned to look at Ree. "I like you, too. More than I thought I would, or could. More than I've liked anyone else before."

"Have you liked many girls before?" Ree asked curiously, wanting to know everything there was to know about him. Pulling off her seatbelt, she twisted to face him, giving him her full attention.

Henry shook his head, taking off his seatbelt as well. "Not many. A couple. But they don't compare to you."

Blushing, she persisted. "What were they like?"

"I dunno," Henry shrugged. "They were… girls. Pretty, nice, but not really anything special."

"What makes me so special in comparison?" Ree tilted her head in wait, her insecurities pushing themselves to the front of her mind.

"I don't know," Henry answered honestly. "You're just… you're… I don't know. I just feel this thing inside me that wants to do everything I can to make you happy."

Leaning over, she rested her head on his shoulder, hiding her face (and smile) from his view. "Okay."

Henry slid his seat back and pulled her closer, lifting her over the center console into his lap. "Will you let me make you happy, Ree?" he whispered into her hair.

She nodded and nuzzled her face against his. "I'd like that," Ree answered, just as softly as he'd spoken.

"I know that… we've only know each other a couple days," Henry said slowly, "but I think maybe I love you."

"I think I may love you, as well. I don't like to imagine my life with anyone but you. Nobody else has ever made me so happy."

"I'm glad I make you happy." Henry smiled, holding her tighter and dipping his head to catch her lips with his own.

Bending her arms at the elbows, she cupped his face and returned his kiss, moving her lips softly against his.

Henry ran his hands up and down her back as they kissed, enjoying the simplicity of the moment.

Ree pulled back slowly, her eyes moving between his and she nipped his bottom lip teasingly. When she leaned back in, she slid her tongue slowly along his upper lip.

"Mmm…" Henry smiled, flicking his tongue out against hers.

Sliding her tongue along his, she tilted her head to give them a better angle. Ree sighed softly into his mouth, trying to shift to press their bodies closer together, but the back of his seat made it awkward.

Henry let one hand fall from Ree's back, reaching blindly for the seat lever, and when he found it, they suddenly tumbled backward. "Oops," he laughed. "That was faster than I was expecting."

Ree chuckled softly, running her nose along his. "You're very cute, Henry," she murmured, kissing his cheek.

Blushing, Henry cleared his throat in an attempt to regain his composure. "Guys aren't supposed to be cute," he replied. "We're… dashing, or handsome, or… I dunno. But not cute."

Shaking her head, she brought her hands to his shirt, unbuttoning the top few buttons. "And while you _are _dashing and handsome, I do not care what you are or are not supposed to be. I think you're cute."

"You're lucky I think you're amazing, or I might be offended," Henry murmured with a grin, cupping her shoulders and tracing the neckline of her dress around to where the zipper was in back.

"How is it that only moments of kissing you makes my body tingle already?" Ree whispered, one hand pressed to his chest, the other curling around the back of his neck.

"Probably the same way that only moments of kissing you makes me hard already," Henry whispered back, playing with the zipper.

Blushing, as she did so often around him, she kissed him softly, then smirked. "I... like feeling you like that, against me."

"I wish I could feel it when you're aroused." Henry drew the zipper down slowly to where it ended at her tailbone. "Will you let me? Can I feel how wet you are, Ree?"

"Oh," Ree breathed. "Yes. A-as long as it won't... you know..."

"It won't." Leaving one hand splayed over her lower back, Henry brought the other to her leg, sliding up under her dress. Hesitating when his fingertips brushed the cotton on her hip, he asked, "Are you sure?"

Even if she hadn't been before, Henry's fingers being so close to where she was so sensitive would have had her agreeing anyway, so she nodded. "Yes, completely certain."

Slowly, Henry traced the line of elastic down, feeling the heat between her thighs before his fingers pressed against her through the cotton, the fabric sliding and soaking through at his touch. "Oh god," he whispered.

"Good?" she asked, breathless at his touch. Ree was aware that if her mother knew what she was doing, she would be severely punished. She also knew, however, that there was a great possibility she would never see her mother again, so she allowed herself to enjoy his hand against her.

"So good," he groaned, moving his fingers against her and focusing on what he could feel through the cotton. After a moment, he found her clit, and rubbed a circle over it, watching her face as he did.

Ree scrunched her face, letting out a low moan, thick and needy. Forcing herself to open her eyes, she looked down at him, pure pleasure filling her body.

Bringing his other hand to her cheek, Henry stroked over her lips with his thumb. "You're so beautiful." After another brief hesitation, he slipped his hand under her panties, sliding his fingers through her wet folds and circling her clit again. "Does that feel good?"

"Yes," she whimpered, her hips jerking automatically into his touch. "It feels amazing." Ree brought one hand up, holding his wrist and squeezing affectionately.

"You're so wet," Henry sighed, tracing over her, long strokes over her sex, always returning to rub her clit lightly.

Hesitating for a moment, she leaned forward and bit his lip, sucking it into her mouth, then dragging her teeth along the flesh before releasing it. "I… I want to touch you, too. I want you to feel as good as I do."

Moaning, Henry kissed her, his hand on her back pulling her closer and inadvertently rocking her against his hand. "After," he whispered. "I want to focus on you."

"Okay," Ree whispered, moving her hips slowly into his touch. "It's so wonderful, Henry… _you're_ so wonderful."

"That's it," Henry encouraged, stroking her back as he focused his touch on her clit. "Move against me."

Listening to his encouragement, she moved her hips faster. Ree returned her hands to his shirt, undoing the rest of the buttons and tugging the fabric apart, exposing his torso to her. She curved her back, leaning down and pressing a soft, open mouthed kiss against his sternum.

Moaning quietly, Henry increased the speed of his touches, wanting and needing to feel her come against his hand.

"I don't think it's going to take me very long." Ree didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing, but she felt that warm, tight sensation in her belly that she felt when they were in the basement together the last time.

"That's okay," Henry nodded, looking down at her. "I want to feel it. I want to feel you let go."

She moved harder and faster, finding purchase with her palms against his chest. "Can you go a little faster? I'm… I feel close."

Rolling his lips together, Henry did as she asked, moving his fingers faster over her clit and watching her with hungry eyes.

Ree felt her body tensing and her knees squeezed tighter around him. "Henry, oh, _oh_," she choked out, that light, blinding feeling filling her stomach.

"That's it," Henry murmured, watching her in awe as he felt her clit pulsing against his fingertips.

She tumbled over the edge with a cry, body dropping forward, and she rested her head against Henry's shoulder. Sucking in several heavy breaths, Ree turned her head and pressed her face into his neck, kissing him.

Stilling his fingers, Henry stroked her back soothingly. "That was so hot," he breathed. "You're so beautiful, and you're even more beautiful when you come."

Ree buried her face harder against his neck, breathing him in and feeling slightly embarrassed. "You compliment me too much," she whispered. "I don't know how to respond."

"I don't compliment you enough," he countered, turning his head to kiss her temple. Gently, his drew his hand from between her thighs, inspecting his wet fingers briefly before licking them clean.

Her eyes widened at his actions and she pulled back to look at him. "What… what are you doing?"

Henry grinned, answering easily, "Tasting you. And you're delicious."

"But… why?"

"Because it's hot. Tasting your arousal. Tasting how wet I can make you? That's so sexy." Henry traced her lips with a fingertip. "Remember I said we could kiss each other between our legs? Now that I know how good you taste, I can't wait to do that."

"That seems… strange," she answered, finally shrugging and kissing his finger. "Can I touch you now?" Her words were quiet, hesitant even, but she wanted to, badly wanted to make him come as she had.

Nodding quickly, Henry breathlessly replied, "Yes, please." He felt like he was going to burst through his pants at any second, so turned on from touching and tasting her.

Ree shifted her body back so she was straddling his lower thighs, then tugged at the button on his jeans. Once it released, her hands shakily pulled at his zipper. There was no reason for her to be nervous, not really, not with Henry, but she was. Looking down at him, she smiled awkwardly. "We need to move your pants lower," she muttered.

Henry bit his lip and lifted his hips, pushing down his jeans and boxers so his erection sprang free.

She settled herself back down on his legs and took him in her hand with wide eyes. Slowly, Ree began moving her hand up and down his length, not certain how much pressure to give, so she held him loosely as she stroked.

His hips twitching up into her touch, Henry groaned, saying, "That feels good… can you… tighten your grip?"

Ree complied, squeezing her hand harder around him. Returning to stroking him, she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth, then released it and asked, "Does that feel all right? Is there something else I can do better?"

"There's a… a bottle, in the glovebox," Henry pointed. "It's, um, hand lotion. Otherwise it'll start to hurt soon," he told her, looking down at her hands on him and groaning, his cock twitching.

She turned her body, reaching over for the glovebox and opening it to shuffle through the contents in search of the bottle. Finding it, Ree returned to sit comfortably on his legs. She popped the cap and poured a generous amount into her palm. Ree then returned her hand to him, stroking slowly as she watched his face. "Is that better?"

Henry groaned loudly, his eyes squeezing shut. "Oh fuck yes, so good… Ree…" Biting his lip, he tried to hold his hips still, wanting to let her explore and touch him however she wanted.

"I want you to move as you would like to," Ree murmured, looking at his eyes for only a moment before she returned to watch her own hand work at him. "Please?"

Moaning Henry nodded, opening his eyes again to watch her. "Only, only if you touch me… however you want," he managed, his hips jerking up into her touch. "I want you to do whatever you want."

"I just want to bring you pleasure. I... I'm not sure how else to," Ree answered, feeling naive.

"Ex-explore," Henry directed, breathing deeply. "Touch different places, watch how I react."

Nodding, she licked her lips and moved her hand over the top of his erection, rubbing her thumb over the tip. Ree brought her free hand to him, sliding her fingertips down the underside of his cock before she moved that hand to cup his balls.

Groaning loudly, Henry jerked into her touch, a look of bliss crossing his features.

Encouraged, she moved her hand up, squeezing the entire head of his penis in her fist, the lotion making a squishing sound as she moved her hand on him.

"Fuck!" Henry exclaimed, instinctively thrusting his hips up, wanting more tight warmth around him.

Ree bit her tongue as she watched him, suddenly understanding why he liked watching her face so much while he touched her. Moving her hand faster on him, she concentrated on the top, since he seemed to like it so much.

"Yes, Ree, fuck…" Henry's head was spinning at the sensations, and nothing he'd ever done to himself had ever felt this good.

She felt the lotion absorbing into their skin, and her hand wasn't sliding as well as it had been, so Ree paused to dump some more on her hand. Returning her hand to him, Ree squeezed him and let her fingers move over and over the rim of the head, up and down, and she closed her other hand around his balls again, squeezing them gently.

Whimpering happily, Henry looked up at Ree with hazy eyes, wanting to tell her how amazing it was, but unable to form the words.

"Will you be able to... come like this?" she asked softly, able to tell he was enjoying himself, but not sure if it was enough.

Henry nodded, but fumbled for her hand, wrapping her fingers around him and directing her in a quick rhythm over the head and top of the shaft.

Ree continued the motion and pace he showed her, stroking him and breathing heavily as she switched her gaze back and forth from his face to where she was touching him.

Panting, Henry managed to warn her, "Gonna… come."

"Please do," she whispered, wanting to see that wonderful feeling overcome him.

Henry searched reflexively for something to contain the mess, but the sensations overwhelmed him before he could grab anything, and his hips jerked wildly as he came in her hand.

Ree squealed as warm, thick, wetness filled her hand and she widened her eyes. Keeping him in her hand, she waited until he finished moving, not wanting to stop her work prematurely.

Shuddering violently, Henry reached out to still her hand, managing to get out, "Too… too much."

"Oh! I'm sorry," she answered. Blushing, Ree let go of him and looked at the mess in her hand, and the small drops spattering the wrist on her other hand where it had spilled over between her fingers. She looked down at him, then slowly brought her cleaner hand to her mouth, hesitantly licking the warm liquid, then scrunching her nose reflexively.

Henry blushed, looking away slightly and murmuring, "There's napkins in the glovebox." He knew, of course, that guys didn't taste as good as girls, but he could've done without the visual confirmation.

Ree twisted and opened the glove box once more, pulling out several napkins. She wiped her hands clean while Henry cleaned himself off, then stuffed the wet napkins inside of a dry one and put it into a cup holder. Leaning down, Ree rested her body against his once more, tilting her chin up and kissing his jaw. "I hope I was okay?" she muttered, looking up at his face.

"You were amazing," Henry whispered, wrapping his arms around her. "I've never felt anything like that before."

"I liked it," Ree said softly. "I liked bringing you pleasure."

"I like bringing you pleasure, too," Henry replied, stroking his fingers up and down her bare back. "What I feel with you… I don't understand what it is, but I don't ever want to stop feeling it."

"I feel the same way, Henry. It feels wonderful," she agreed, leaning up and looking at him. "Can I ask you about something? About what we've done together?"

Smiling, Henry brushed her hair back from her face. "Of course. You can ask me anything."

Feeling her face heat, she concentrated on looking down at his neck instead of into his eyes. "Can we... rub against each other, without our clothes, without my body being changed?"

Henry groaned loudly, not having expected _that_. "Yes," he rasped out, then cleared his throat. "Yes, we can. Your body will only be changed if I go inside you. Anything else is safe."

"I would like to try that sometime," Ree whispered, smiling shyly and laying back down against him. "I want to experience everything I possibly can with you."

Tangling his hands in her hair, Henry drew her into a slightly frenzied kiss.

Ree kissed him back eagerly, curling one hand around the back of his neck, the other holding the crook of his elbow. She was in no hurry to move from him, so despite her preference for the couch in comparison to the car, she remained against him, relaxing her weight on top of him.

"I like your ideas," Henry whispered into her mouth, grinning. He trailed his hands up to her shoulders, slowly pulling her dress down.

Pulling her arms back once the dress was far enough off her shoulders, she let him pull it from her and leaned back down to kiss him.

David noticed Henry's car on his late night patrol, so he parked the police cruiser behind Henry's car and got out, hoping the steamy windows were just proof of heated kisses. Walking along the driver's side, David sighed heavily and tapped the end of his flashlight against the window, unable to see inside.

Ree broke the kiss, looking at the window, then back at Henry. "What do we do? Who is that?"

"Shit," Henry hissed. "It's probably Emma. Just… just play it cool." He wrapped an arm around Ree to hold her against him, keeping her chest out of view, and hit the button to lower the window with his other hand, smiling sheepishly and preempting, "Ma, sorry, we just… Grandpa?"

Looking into the car and noticing the state of undress between the teens, David grimaced. The smell of sex hit him as he bent to look in and he pulled back quickly. "Uh..." he started, shifting awkwardly. "Two minutes and I want you out of this car, Henry."

Ree buried her face into Henry's neck, trying to hide from his grandfather. It was mortifying, having an older man see her so disheveled and partially undressed.

Henry nodded quickly, agreeing, "Okay," and putting the window back up. "I'm so sorry, Ree," he whispered. "I thought it'd be my ma, and she would've been… less… that."

"It isn't your fault," she answered, sitting up and pulled her dress back on. Moving back to the passenger seat, Ree turned her back toward him and asked him to zip her dress up. "Do you think he'll tell your mother?"

"I'm not sure." Henry zipped up her dress, then pulled his pants and boxers back up. "He might. But… we weren't breaking the rules, so…" There was another tap on the window and he grimaced. "Stay here, I'll talk to him." With a deep breath, he opened the door, stepping out to face the music.

Ree nodded as she watched him get out, sitting back against the seat and hoping it went okay.

David stood with his arms crossed as he waited for Henry to shut the car door. When he did, he grabbed the teen's arm and pulled him away from the car to stand by the cruiser. "What are you doing, Henry? That's... She's... What were you thinking?"

"Geez, Grandpa, chill!" Henry shrugged off his arm. "We were just… we were… We weren't having sex, okay? Mom said we couldn't, not until we know for sure she's not going to get pulled back to her world."

"Whatever you were or weren't doing, you realize that I thought she _was _your mother until I remembered Ree is here!" David said awkwardly, waving his hand at the car. "It's a little weird, kid."

"Well that's your problem, not mine!"

"How is it not your problem that you're with a girl who looks just like your mom?"

"Because she's _not_ my mom." Henry crossed his arms over his chest, sighing. "Look, I get that they look the same. And yeah, it's kinda weird sometimes. But Ree is so different. She's… she's amazing. And I just wanna be with her all the time and make her happy. And, yeah, make out with her."

Sighing resignedly, David nodded. "And you swear you're not having sex? Because it smelled like sex."

"We didn't have sex, I swear. Just… other stuff." Henry shrugged a little sheepishly.

"Keep it that way," David answered, nodding reluctantly. "And no more parking."

"First, where else are we supposed to get time alone without the possibility of Mom walking in on us, and second, at this point, I kinda think she and I are just waiting until we know for sure she can stay. All bets are off after that."

"Behave," he answered, shrugging and shaking his head. "Your mom works plenty, take care of your... urges then." David looked toward Henry's car and shook his head. "I've noticed that if things are meant to happen, they will, despite circumstances and the like. You can't hurt her. If she was meant to be the same way your mother was, you are going to cause trouble. So you _can't _hurt her."

Henry frowned deeply. "I would never hurt her. She means too much to me."

"Okay. But seriously... we send kids home from here all the time. You're more creative than that. I don't want to catch you again, got it?" David softened a little. It was weird, definitely weird, but Henry did look happy.

Henry nodded. "Okay. I'll keep that in mind. And, um… you don't have to tell Mom about this… right?" he asked hopefully.

"Normally I would think she needs to know, but she doesn't need any added stress right now, so no, I won't tell her," David allowed. "But if I find you again, I won't make the same promise."

"Okay. That's fair. Thanks, Grandpa. Uh, can we go now?"

Nodding, David clapped Henry on the shoulder. "Yeah, you can go now." Then, moving around to the driver's side of the cruiser, he got in and drove away.

Sighing in relief, Henry got back in his car, leaning his head back against the headrest as his heart rate calmed.

Ree turned to him once he returned, reaching one hand to touch his arm. "Is everything okay? Was he angry?"

"No, not angry," Henry rolled his head to look at her and smiled tiredly. "He's weirded out by us, though. And he's worried I'll hurt you. But he won't tell Mom about this, and told us to find somewhere else to go."

"Oh, well I suppose that's all right," she answered softly. "And while I very much enjoyed myself, I must agree with him; the car is not my favorite place for such activities."

"It is a little cramped," Henry agreed, grinning. "Should we head back home?"

"We probably should," she sighed. "Usually I love my time to sleep, but I find I dislike how long it takes you away from me."

Biting his lip to keep in a chuckle, Henry squeezed her hand and instructed, "Put on your seatbelt, adorable princess."

"Okay, my _cute_ prince," she shot back, tugging the belt across her body. "I'm going to have to take another shower."

"Ditto," Henry latched his belt as well and started up the car. "Grandpa won't need to tell Mom, pretty sure she'll figure it out just by the tandem bathing," he said wryly.

Ree blushed at the thought reminding her of her confusion when she thought Emma had meant for her to take a shower with Henry on her first afternoon with them. "The shower is lovely," she said, trying to keep her imagination from running wild. It was a strange feeling, wanting him so badly. She had never felt any need for such behavior before, but now that they had touched each other and pleasured each other, she found her thoughts often moved to being with Henry again.

"I read on the internet that a detachable shower head is really awesome for girls," Henry said, glancing at her. "If you hold it in a certain place." He very deliberately didn't think about the fact that the only shower in the house with a detachable head was his mother's.

Raising her eyebrows, Ree cleared her throat and looked at him questioningly. "Women... can use things to pleasure themselves?"

Henry's eyes widened at the question, reminded again that Ree was from another time and place. "Yeah. There's a lot of things for that. There are whole stores full of stuff for women."

"Oh, I see." She couldn't imagine using something, but perhaps she would try anyway, just to see. "How do you know so much about all of this? Sex and everything?"

"I read about it," Henry admitted, flushing in embarrassment. "And look at pictures and stuff. You know my computer that I showed you? There's this thing called the internet that you can use on the computer, and it has information on everything. It's not always right, though, so you have to research a lot."

Leaning toward him, Ree brushed a quick kiss on his warm cheek. "Will you show me how to research?"

"O-okay," Henry agreed, nodding. "I can do that."

"Is that okay?" she asked softly, embarrassed at his slight hesitance.

Nodding again, Henry assured her, "Yeah, it's fine. I just… was thinking about you looking up stuff like that, and… well, it's kind of hot."

"Oh. Well... it's just that you know so much more than I do." Ree moved to take his hand, squeezing his fingers with her own. "I don't want to have to stop so I can keep asking you things."

"I don't mind it when you ask me things, you know." Henry looked over at her quickly, before turning his eyes back to the road. "You can always ask me anything at any time."

Smiling affectionately, she turned to look out the windshield. "Do you think it always feels this way?"

"I hope so."

"Me too."

After spending the morning teaching Ree how to use the internet, and promising to return with lunch from Granny's, Henry left the house, making his way quickly to City Hall and knocking on his mother's office door.

"Come in," Regina called, looking up a moment later to see Henry walking in. "Henry, what are you doing here? Where's Ree?" She was surprised to see him without her, the pair practically had doey eyes glued to each other constantly, while also managing to be attached at the hip.

"She's at home, I'm just getting lunch, but I wanted to talk to you." Henry closed the door behind him and made his way to Regina's desk, sitting in front of it and clasping his hands together tightly.

"Well, as long as it isn't bad, I'm pleased. I've missed you," Regina teased. "What's on your mind?"

Chewing on his lips, Henry looked down at his hands. "Mom… how do you know when you love someone?" he asked hesitantly.

Surprised, Regina straightened in her chair and brought her hands together on top of her desk. "Well, Henry, it's different for everyone. I'm not sure I should be the one to tell you. I don't have much to say," she answered sadly.

Glancing up, Henry quietly protested, "I know that's not true. I know you were in love when you were my age."

She relented with a nod, pushing down the heavy sadness that always came when she thought of Daniel. "I was, yes. I loved Daniel very quickly. He was kind to me, gentle and caring, and it didn't matter to him who I was, or if I had a title or a terrible mother. He was much the same way with me as you are with Ree, I suppose. I knew I loved him because I was willing to do anything to be with him, risking my mother's disapproval and punishment, if she found out. I didn't care that he was a stable boy, I just wanted to be happy with him."

"I want her to be happy," Henry whispered. "Even if it's not with me. I don't want her to go back to a life she hates, a life where she has no choices. I want her to be able to decide for herself what she wants."

"Do you feel like you're in love with Ree?" she asked after a moment, already knowing the answer, but hesitant to hear it from him.

Henry was quiet for a long moment, thinking about the time he spent with the other teenager, not only intimately, but also just talking, or teaching her technology. "Yeah," he finally answered, meeting his mother's gaze. "Yeah, I think I am."

Regina hummed thoughtfully, momentarily wishing again that he was still her little boy. "I love you, Henry. And even if it scares me, if you believe you're in love with her, you probably are. There's no time limit or requirement when it comes to loving someone."

"It's only been three days," Henry pointed out. "This is crazy, isn't it?"

Giving him a sad smile, Regina nodded and chuckled. "Crazy doesn't always mean wrong," she allowed, leaning forward and resting her elbows on her desk. "She seems as smitten with you as you are with her."

"Are you okay, Mom?" Henry asked, biting his lip worriedly. "I know it, us, bother you."

"It doesn't so much anymore. It is strange to me, still, how physically like me she is and that it doesn't bother you, but if it isn't an issue for you, it shouldn't be for me." Regina gave him a smirk, happier than she'd been the moment before. "I am pleased to be reminded of how wonderful you are. You are such a good person, sweetheart, and Ree... she deserves that."

Blushing, Henry looked down again, shrugging his shoulders. "She's a good person, too. And so are you. I want you to have this feeling, too."

"I think my time has passed, but I appreciate the thought." Casually picking up a pen, she fidgeted with it between her hands. "She seems to be growing accustomed to things here pretty well... is there any chance I can convince you to teach her how to wash her own laundry?"

Henry nearly choked on his own tongue, and his cheeks flamed red. "I… I, yeah. Y-yeah, I can… do that," he managed to stutter.

"I'm not telling you that you have to leave, but you can if you don't have anything else you wanted to ask about."

"Can I just ask one more question?"

Regina nodded, looking at him attentively.

A little awkwardly, Henry asked, "Is there _anybody_ in Storybrooke that you could see yourself being happy with?"

"Perhaps, but I don't see it happening, so there's nothing more to say about it."

Nodding slowly, his brow furrowing, Henry murmured, "Okay… okay. I'll figure it out. You deserve happiness." Then, grinning, he sprang out of his chair. "Thanks, Mom. See you after work!"

"I'll be home by five-thirty," she said, subtly warning him. "And thank you, too."

Henry waved cheerfully as he left the office, heading to Granny's to pick up fries, a burger, and a grilled cheese in his quest to introduce Ree to the Swan version of fine dining.

Ree was pacing inside of Henry's bedroom when she heard the front door open. He'd left her to look up whatever she had wanted, and while, at first, she had learned some of the things she was curious about, one site she'd clicked on, and started viewing had shot up new windows all over the screen and had her turning the computer toward the wall. Stepping out of the room, she called to him with a shaky voice.

Jerking his head up at the panic in Ree's voice, Henry ran up the stairs two at a time, bursting into his room. "Ree? What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I was-I clicked on a link and it took me to this site," she answered, verging on tears. "I think I broke it. All these things came up and I couldn't stop it and all these... these people and they were... um... I'm so sorry, Henry," Ree stammered.

"Just, calm down," Henry soothed, leading her to his bed and directing her to sit. "I'll take care of it, okay? You couldn't have broken it, I promise." Sitting in his desk chair, he grabbed the laptop, his eyebrows shooting up at the multiple windows of porn. He let out a little chuckle and pulled up the task manager, shutting the program down entirely, then turning the computer to her. "There, see? Good as new."

Ree blushed then, covering her face in her hands. "I... I didn't mean to look at that. I... sorry," she muttered into her hands, refusing to look at him.

Henry couldn't help but laugh, setting the computer aside and tackle-hugging Ree on the bed. "It's okay, it happens to everyone. God knows I've gotten caught in my fair share of pornadoes, myself."

"It is not funny, Henry!" she whimpered. "That was horrifying! Thank gods it was you who came home and not your mother!"

"You're adorable!" he declared, kissing her soundly on the forehead, the only part of her face not covered by her hands.

Still pouting, Ree pulled her hands from her face and looked up at him. "You're lucky I like you so much. I would otherwise be tempted to be as equally mean to you."

"You can't be mean to me, I brought you lunch," Henry protested.

"I suppose I can hold off until I see if I like what you've brought. I shall give you fair warning, if I am not pleased, you will not be either," Ree teased, grinning playfully at him.

Shaking his head, Henry grabbed the bag from where he'd dropped it on his desk. "Don't worry, you'll love it. Even Mom likes fries, even though she pretends not to."

Ree tilted her head eagerly, noting that her appetite had increased without her mother's watchful eye. "Fries, hmm, that's an interesting name for food. What else did you get?"

"Hamburger and grilled cheese," Henry declared happily, sitting cross-legged next to her. "I figured we could share everything, so you get to try it all."

"What is a hamburger? At least grilled cheese sounds easy enough to figure out," Ree asked, turning her face toward him and smiling.

Opening the bag, Henry removed the paper take-out containers, popping them open. "This," he declared happily, "is a hamburger. Ground beef patty, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and Granny's secret sauce. You know how an orgasm feels? This? This is an orgasm for your mouth."

Ree raised her eyebrows and looked at the food. "Are you saying you have competition?" she teased with a laugh.

"No, no," Henry shook his head, grinning. "Foodgasms are totally separate. And sacred. Try it!" He held out the burger to Ree, waving it enticingly in front of her mouth.

Stilling his hand with her own, she leaned forward and took a small bite, allowing all the flavors to hit her tongue as she chewed. Ree hummed and nodded as she swallowed. "Yes, that's very good. Meat here tastes different."

"Really?" Henry asked curiously. "What does meat taste like there?" He took his own bite of the burger, chewing happily.

"Well... I'm not sure how to explain it. It tastes more... I don't know. It tastes cleaner, I guess," she tried, blushing at her inability to gather her thoughts.

Henry nodded in understanding. "That makes sense. There's a lot of crappy stuff about how we get our food. Here, try the grilled cheese," he pushed the container with the crispy, cheesy sandwich inside toward her.

Ree picked up one half of the sandwich, taking and bite and chewing slowly. "That's really good, too," she told him, after she swallowed. "I like the bread here."

"It's softer, right?" Henry guessed. "Like, has a smoother texture?" He grabbed the other half and took a large bite.

Nodding, she took another bite, delicate in comparison to Henry's, but bigger than her last. Ree leaned against him as she ate, reaching for the fries once her half of the sandwich was gone. "I didn't really get to eat much bread or meat back home, anyway. Or desserts."

"What on earth did you eat, then?" Henry asked, frowning and offering the burger to her again. "That's like, three-quarters of my diet."

Ree chuckled and took the burger from him. "Vegetables, fruits." Shrugging, she explained, "I was allowed stews, which had meat, but very little of it. My mother insisted that if I was fat, no one would want to marry me."

Henry let out a sputter of incredulity. "Are you serious? You're _tiny_! Like a little bitty pocket-girl! I could lift you with one arm!"

She laughed, turning her head and kissing his jaw. "If you said that to her, she would tell you I'm tiny because I watch what I eat, well, she does. Did, anyway. She had enough complaints about my bottom being too big, there was no chance she'd let my stomach."

"Oh my god, no," Henry shook his head. "Your ass is fucking perfect. Better than perfect."

"How is something better than perfect?" Ree grinned happily, eating another fry.

"I don't know, but it is," Henry answered, sure of himself. "It's like, if you could bottle perfection, and then add amazing and holy hell and then mix it together with magic, and that's your ass."

Ree burst into laughter, grabbing his arm with one hand. "You... are... wonderful," she choked out between her chortles.

Grinning proudly at making her laugh, Henry shrugged. "It's true, though! Your ass is perfect and magic."

"Well I happen to think _you_ are perfect. And pretty magical, so I guess I won't discourage your thoughts."

Wrapping his arms around her, Henry flopped back on the bed, pulling her with him and rolling them over onto their sides. "I don't think you could discourage my thoughts if you tried," he said, kissing her.

Ree let out a soft chuckle against his lips, kissing him back softly. She brought one hand up, cupping his cheek and stroking her fingertips in his hair.

Henry smiled happily, turning his head to kiss her palm before pulling her closer to tuck into his body. "I love holding you."

"I feel the same way. You make me feel safe," she whispered, nuzzling her face against him.

"I'm glad." Henry kissed the top of her head and rested his chin there. "I want to keep you safe, Ree," he whispered. "I don't want anything to hurt you ever again."

Breathing him in, Ree kissed his collarbone. "This feels like love, doesn't it? I've never loved anyone before, but I imagine it feels this good."

"It does," he agreed, thinking of the conversation he'd had with his mother earlier. "I've never loved anyone before, either."

She tilted her head back, looking up and him with a sweet smile. "Good." Shifting up slightly in his hold, Ree pressed a quick kiss to the corner of his mouth. "I like that you're all mine."

Smiling, Henry returned the soft kiss. "Does that mean you're mine, too?"

Ree nodded. "Of course it does. For as long as you'll have me."

Henry bit his lip to keep from suggesting forever, cuddling her closer again instead.


	4. Chapter 4

It was late when Ree woke up, the sky was dark as pitch, but she couldn't fall back asleep. After tossing and turning for nearly an hour, she climbed out of bed and headed to the kitchen, hoping that getting a drink would help. Not wanting to wake anyone else up, she moved quietly, flicking on the light above the sink. When she'd pulled out a glass and filled it from the tap, Ree moved to sit on a stool at the island.

Hearing noise from downstairs, Regina got up, pulling on her bathrobe and slippers. She checked both rooms first, Henry was sound asleep, but Ree was missing from her bed. Regina made her way down the stairs, wiping her eyes and running her fingers through her hair. She stood at the entrance to the kitchen, clearing her throat before moving closer. "Ree? What are you doing up, sweetheart?"

The younger woman turned, facing her and watched as the mayor made her way around the island before she answered. "I'm sorry if I woke you. I was having difficulty resting."

"That's all right. Would you like me to warm you some milk?" Regina asked, already moving to take out the milk and pull a pan from the cupboard.

"Sure." Ree watched the other woman for a moment, then said, "I truly appreciate everything you've done for me since I've been here."

Looking at the teen, Regina nodded. "Of course."

"You often seem uncomfortable by my presence. Do I upset you?"

"Oh, no, you don't," Regina answered softly, her eyes focusing on the milk she was stirring slowly in the saucepan. "You remind me of when I was young and happy, when things were very different for me. But you don't upset me."

"Terrible things will happen to me... if I cannot stay?" Ree asked, knowing there was little she could be told.

Nodding slowly, Regina looked at her sadly. "I cannot guarantee exactly what your life will be like, should you get forced back, but the life I lived was a sad and cruel one. But I didn't marry James, either, so I don't really know."

"Did you know James?"

"Not really, no. I'd met him, but only during George's visits to try for an alliance," Regina explained.

Ree looked down, tracing imaginary shapes in the countertop with her fingertips. "It isn't that I have anything against him. I don't know him well enough to feel either way about him as a person. I was fine enough marrying him, I suppose. Until I came here and realized what love is like." Ree's eyes widened and her head snapped up, and she looked at Regina to see if the other woman had caught her words, and sure enough Regina was looking at her intently. "I mean... I-Henry just-"

"Ree, it's okay," she reassured the teen, smiling softly as she added cinnamon and vanilla to the milk, whisking it before pulling it from the burner. "Henry and I spoke. And to be fair, your feelings for him, and his for you, have been obvious since you first spent time together. Teenagers aren't as skilled at discretion as they think."

Blushing, Ree nodded and smiled shyly. "He's lovely. I care very much for him. And now I can't imagine ever leaving him."

Raising her eyebrows, Regina moved to get two mugs out for them, pouring the milk between them. "Well then, we will all hope for the best thing to happen and that you'll be able to stay." She carried the mugs to the island, sliding one across to Ree and holding her own between both hands. "Do you get along with your father?"

"Oh yes," Ree answered, swallowing the sip she'd taken. "Daddy is wonderful. My mother is awful to him, though." Pausing to sip again, Ree waited a moment and said, "I think I will miss them both regardless of how she treats me."

"That's okay. Cora does love you. Perhaps someday I'll be be able to tell you the story." Regina reached across the island with one hand and touched Ree's arm.

The teen looked up with a smile. "Would you? Henry said he'll tell me some stories, but I would love to hear some from you."

Regina nodded her answer, drinking from her mug and smiled. "Are you figuring things out well enough? Technology and such?"

"Yes. Henry's been very helpful." Ree blushed deeply, looking away, then down at her lap. "I was wondering... I should be starting my cycle next week. I-I don't think wool will fit in my underclothes here."

Biting back a smirk, Regina hid her mouth with her mug and cleared her throat. "We use different items here. I'll show you when it's time, all right?"

"Yes. Thank you."

Regina finished her drink, then looked at Ree's, seeing it was just about empty as well. "Finish up and try to get some sleep. I'm going to go to bed."

"Thank you again. For everything," Ree answered.

"Of course, sweetheart." Regina placed her mug in the sink and headed back upstairs. Stopping at Henry's door, she opened it and looked in, checking to make sure they hadn't disturbed him. He was still resting peacefully, so she sighed a little nostalgically and went back to bed.

The bell above the door at Granny's chimed, and Emma looked up, waving at the small group that entered. As they made their way to the booth, she scooted over, making room for Regina to sit.

"Hey, Ma," Henry greeted happily, sliding into the opposite side of the booth after Ree. "I didn't think we'd still have dinner here, since we didn't tell people about Ree?"

"Oh that," Emma waved it off. "I told Mom that it was fine to tell people, and she told Leroy, and between the two of them… Well, you know."

Regina sat down in the space Emma allowed, laughing at her explanation of how word got around about Ree. She reached across the blonde and set her purse between the blonde's hip and the wall.

"I think people are staring at us," Ree whispered, leaning closer to Henry.

"It's okay." Henry smiled at her and squeezed her hand. "It's a little weird to have you here, but weirder things have happened. They'll lose interest pretty quickly."

Emma smiled at Regina and adjusted her purse so the clasp wasn't digging into her hip. "I wasn't sure what the kids would want to drink, but I ordered your iced tea for you."

Ree squeezed Henry's hand back, gently leaning her shoulder against his. "What else do you suggest I try? Everything sounds delicious."

"Thank you," Regina said, giving the blonde a smile. "How was work?"

"Pretty boring, actually," Emma grinned. "I like it when it's quiet. I get to work on my aim at wastepaper basket."

Henry hummed in thought, looking at the menu. "Well, I think I'm going to get the chicken strips, which I think you'd like, but Mom also really likes the summer salad with chicken and avocado."

Ree looked over the menu again and tilted her head. "Is lasagna good?"

"Only if it's mine," Regina cut in, smirking at the younger brunette. Turning to Emma, she shook her head. "Still missing most of your shots? I'm fairly certain _I _could beat you at wastepaper basket."

"Hey, be nice!" Emma protested, making a face. "It's hard to get a good rhythm going when you're constantly interrupted by crazy people wanting to destroy us all."

Nodding seriously, Henry told Ree, "Granny's lasagna is good, but if you've never had it before, you have to have Mom's first. Hers is amazing. But the fettucini alfredo is really good."

"Is that your explanation for taking so long to get your job right? I'm fairly certain I still haven't gotten this month's budget reports from you yet," Regina tossed back, smirking and shaking her head.

Ree closed her menu and laid it down in front of her. "I'll have to try that, then. You haven't steered me wrong yet."

"You're going to love it," Henry said, grinning. "It's really rich, though, just to warn you. Definitely something Cora wouldn't let you have." He winked.

"Okay, but remember the thing with the Lost Boys?" Emma protested. "I filed the report the _day of_. I mean, come on, I have to get points for that, right?"

Humming, Regina raised her eyebrows and looked back at the blonde. "Probably more points than you're scoring in your little trash game."

Ree watched Henry's mothers intently, tilting her head at their conversation. He had told her that they were just family through him, but she was curious the more she watched them. They acted like more than friends. They seemed to know each other as lovers would.

"Like I said, I'm getting better at it," Emma pointed out. "So I guess I'm scoring a lot, huh?" She waggled her eyebrows playfully.

Looking at his moms, Henry rolled his eyes and nudged Ree. "Ignore them, they're weird," he advised.

Letting out a little hum, Ree nodded and gave a small smile. "Do you all have dinner here often?"

Regina rolled her eyes at Emma, saying, "You realize you're an idiot, right?"

Grinning in success (at what, she wasn't sure, but she had warm fuzzies, so she considered herself successful), Emma replied, "Yeah, but we're family, and you don't mind it."

"Every Thursday night," Henry answered Ree's question. "Family night. Dinner at Granny's and a movie at home."

"That we are," Regina agreed, her mind running over the conversation with Henry the previous day.

"What kind of movie will we watch for family night?" Ree asked, her thumb rubbing over the back of Henry's hand affectionately. "I liked the one you showed me with the cartoons."

"We all decide on one together." Henry smiled at Ree, leaning toward her slightly before remembering that they were in public and directly across from his mothers - even if they weren't paying attention.

"_And_ you don't mind," Emma repeated, trying to get Regina to admit it.

"Whatever helps you sleep at night, Emma." Regina reached in front of Emma and grabbed two sugar packets as she waited for her iced tea, a nasty habit she had picked up for sweet drinks from her child or his other mother, she couldn't recall which.

Ree found herself slightly flustered at Henry's nearness without the ability to curl under his arm or really be affectionate at all. Actions she'd become so used to with all their time alone.

Smiling sheepishly, Henry straightened, squeezing Ree's fingers.

"I sleep just fine, thank you," Emma retorted.

"Hey, sorry, guys," Ruby stepped up to the table, placing Regina's iced tea and Emma's Coke in front of them. After taking their orders, she promised to put a rush on them and disappeared again.

"She's very pretty," Ree said softly, turning her face to Henry. "Would I know her in the Enchanted Forest? Or does everyone here only know each other from living here?"

Adding the sugar to her tea, Regina bit back a smirk at Ree's comment, but turned her attention to Emma. "I'm sure you do sleep just fine. All that Charming self-righteousness probably puts you out like a baby."

"Oh hey, come on now, that's just not fair," Emma pouted. "I may have the genetics, but I think nurture overtakes nature on the self-righteous scale."

"Actually, I don't know if Mom ever met her in the Enchanted Forest," Henry admitted, frowning slightly at the gap in his knowledge. "A lot of people knew each other before, and a lot met here. It's pretty jumbled up."

Clearing her throat, Regina looked between Ree and Henry. "I knew everybody, or at least knew of everybody. I wasn't particularly fond of her back home, though."

"I see," Ree answered, eyes flitting to Ruby. "I don't see why not. She's lovely."

"Am I gonna have to be jealous?" Henry asked, raising a playful eyebrow at Ree. "Because I'll totally take on a werewolf if I have to. I'll lose, but I'll do it."

Emma snickered, shaking her head. "Come on, kid, you know Ruby wouldn't rob the cradle with little Ree."

Blushing, Ree shook her head and looked pointedly at Henry. "No. Of course not." She turned her attention to Emma, brow furrowing. "What do you mean 'rob the cradle'?"

Regina elbowed Emma in the ribs, smiling at Ree and chuckling softly. "Don't worry about it, it's just a crude figure of speech. You'll find Emma has many of those to offer."

Emma made a face at Regina before turning to Ree. "It just means you're too young for her," she explained.

"Plus, she's dating my sort-of grandma," Henry added.

Ruby returned with Ree's tea and Henry's root beer, smirking as she set them down. "And were I not so happy with her," she input into the conversation, "I'd totally consider robbing the cradle." Winking at Ree, and then Regina, she headed to the next table.

Ree's blush deepened, so she bent her neck and stared down at her lap, willing her face to cool.

Reaching around the edge of the table, Regina patted Ree's free hand and grinned. "Don't worry sweetheart, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I think Mom likes it when Ruby flirts with her," Henry sighed, rubbing the back of Ree's hand. "Even though this time she was flirting with you."

"That much is clear," Emma muttered, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.

Regina shrugged. "There's nothing wrong with enjoying the flirtatious behavior of an attractive woman."

"Mother doesn't approve of women being interested in women," Ree told Henry, squeezing his fingers and turning their hands so the back of hers rested on his thigh.

Ignoring Regina's comment, Emma made a sympathetic face to Ree. "Cora didn't seem to approve of anything," she pointed out. "I mean, she didn't let you eat bread, and look at all the good food you've had the past few days."

Henry nodded in agreement. "Ma's right. Here it's totally fine for women to be interested in women, or men to be interested in men. They can even get married if they want to."

Ree contemplated a moment on what to say, settling on, "I very much enjoy this world," and giving a beaming smile to her three dinner companions.

"And Emma's right," Regina started, pulling a face, "as much as it pains me to say so. Cora didn't approve of much, but that will likely no longer be a concern, so feel free to feel as you would like and, for the most part, do as you would like."

"And who you'd like," Henry added slyly.

"Kid," Emma groaned, pained.

"Henry!" Ree and Regina both exclaimed, the latter in exasperation and the former in embarrassment.

"I count that as flaunting it, Henry. You've just cost yourself a night at home." Regina looked at Emma with a playful grin and continued. "What you do think, Monday night, Henry stays with you? And I think I'll take Ree shopping out of town Tuesday. She'll need far more clothes than she has if she's to stay."

"Hey, no!" Henry protested. "That's not fair! You just said no kissing!"

Chuckling, Emma shook her head slightly. "As much as it would serve him right, maybe _not_ Monday night. I really don't want Henry breaking his neck trying to climb up the lattice outside his window."

"Pfft," Henry blew out a breath. "I'd use the front door, obviously."

"Maybe I'll pull a Princess Bride move and keep her safe from you," Regina teased.

"I don't know what you mean," Ree stated, obviously confused. "But I know I'm safe with Henry."

With a shake of her head, Regina chuckled. "Don't worry, I was merely joking. Your choices are your own."

"Pop culture training," Henry looked at Emma and gave a serious nod.

"Agreed," Emma nodded back. "Starting as soon as we know she's here to stay."

"Why the hell do you ignore me as though I have no clue what pop culture is? I'll remind you both, I started my pop culture training when _you_ were in diapers," Regina said, pointedly glaring at Emma, then switching her gaze to Henry, "and eighteen years before your existence."

Ree frowned, tilting her head. "You don't look that much older than Emma or Henry. How is that possible?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to confuse you. We'll explain it all next week," Regina recovered.

"And it'll take another week to explain it," Emma added.

"And one more to explain my family tree."

Chuckling, Regina nodded her agreement. "You should probably just start on making a chart now, Henry, that way Ree can study it after you explain it."

Ree shifted, uncomfortable with feeling so much confusion about everything around her.

Henry squeezed Ree's hand reassuringly. "It's okay. You'll get the hang of it, I promise. I mean, it took Aurora over a year to stop calling the TV the 'devil box' so you're already ahead there."

"Well, I did wonder how they got tiny people in there," Ree muttered, but she accepted his encouragement.

Grinning widely, Henry looked at his mothers, warning, "I'm gonna kiss my girlfriend, rules be damned," before turning back to Ree and pressing his lips to hers.

Momentarily hesitant, Ree recovered and leaned into him, but broke the kiss before she desired to deepen it. After pulling away, she bit her lip and looked down shyly.

Regina leaned slightly toward Emma and grumbled softly, "I really hate how cute they are."

"I know, right?" Emma whispered back. "I'm half weirded out because it looks like he's kissing you, and half melting because of how freaking adorable they are."

Smiling at Ree, Henry slipped his hand from hers and wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

Ree leaned into his touch, watching the women across the table once more, how easily they communicated for such a weird situation.

"Yeah. I mean... she's me, it's weird. But they're so happy and at ease with each other," Regina muttered.

Emma shrugged slightly. "Kid's got good taste, can't fault him for that."

Regina bit back a smirk at Emma's words. Raising her eyebrows, she nodded. "Indeed he does."

Ree sipped her tea, then reached for two of the packets she'd seen Regina use. Tearing them open, she dumped them into her drink and stirred it, following with a sip. "That's so much better," she murmured with pleasure.

"I think someone has a bit of a sweet tooth," Henry teased lightly. "Wanna try mine?" He nudged his glass of soda toward her.

Ree took a sip, wincing at the sweetness initially, but on her second sip she hummed appreciatively. "That's delicious. And probably worthy of an ill stomach."

"And yet, he and his mother insist on drinking it daily." Regina raised an eyebrow in Emma's direction. "Something he didn't do until a certain mother decided to stay in town."

"Someone had to rescue him from all that healthy crap," Emma said, mock-offended. "He was gonna turn into a rabbit before too long. Besides. I got you into root beer and fries, too, and you can't deny it."

Shaking his head at his mothers' antics, Henry responded to Ree's comment. "Well if you've never had it before, yeah, it would probably make you feel sick if you drank too much. You'll just have to start slow, we'll work you up to it."

"That healthy crap is the reason you have to work out twice as hard as I do, just to look half as good," Regina teased Emma, rolling her eyes.

"Perhaps I'll stick with desserts for now," Ree answered, looking at the soda. "Besides, I prefer hot drinks, so unless you have a hot drink that tastes like dessert, I may stay safe from the stomachaches."

"Hot chocolate! Mmmm, topped with whipped cream and cinnamon. So good." A thought occurred to Henry, and he asked, "Do they have chocolate in the Enchanted Forest?"

"Yeah, you say that, but we all know who's got the guns," Emma flexed her arms dramatically.

Ree nodded. "We have chocolate, yes. Though, it's usually only brought out for special occasions."

"Ah, yes, another thing you got from your father aside from the blonde hair. Brawn and looks with so few working brain cells to speak of." Regina playfully tugged a strand of Emma's hair that was laying over her shoulder. "Besides, just because I don't show off my muscles, rather choosing to wear professional clothing, does not mean you're stronger than me."

"I'm totally stronger than you," Emma protested. "Unless you use magic to cheat. I'm way more butch than you are."

"We can have chocolate every day," Henry told her. "Actually, I usually do. They sell chocolate bars at the corner store and the pharmacy and the grocery store. All different kinds, too. Ones with nuts, ones with caramel, ones with cookie… All the chocolate you could ever want."

Regina nearly snorted at Emma's comment, choosing instead to bite her tongue, instead muttering, "I'm sure you are. Doesn't matter, I'm sure you're a bottom either way."

Henry's head whipped around to stare at Regina in horror. "Oh my _god_, Mom!"

"What?" Regina asked exasperatedly. "You kiss a younger me in front of me and I can't make a joke about your mother?"

"What does it mean?" Ree asked, eyes on Henry's face.

"Not that kind of joke!" Henry exclaimed, cringing.

Emma cackled at her son's disgust, pointing out, "Turnabout is fair play, kid."

"Nope," Henry shook his head. "Nope nope nope. There's a huge difference between me kissing my girlfriend and my mom speculating on my other mom's… _preferences_." He shuddered.

Regina grinned darkly. "Who said it was just speculation, Henry?" she taunted.

"Hm, now there's a thought," Emma teased, shrugging.

Whining, Henry turned to Ree and hid his face in her shoulder. "Make them stop," he pleaded.

"I'm not sure what you're talking about, other than it is obviously something sexual," Ree said, looking between his mothers as though she was scolding them. "But unless you'd like details on what I've learned since being here, I'll kindly ask you to stop making my Henry miserable."

Henry lifted his head, grinning. "Your Henry?" he asked, pleased.

Emma eyed the teenager. "You wouldn't," she said, mostly sure of her assessment. "You'd be too embarrassed to give details."

"Yes. _My _Henry," Ree answered softly, smiling at him, before switching her gaze back to Emma. "Are you sure about that? I'm under the impression that Regina doesn't mind joking about it, why should I mind telling the truth, when I've been told there's nothing to be ashamed of?"

Regina raised her eyebrows, smirking at Ree's protectiveness of Henry. She also recalled that she herself had had quite a bit of bite when she had been pulled out of her shell. "So... who's ready to eat?"

"Yes!" Henry exclaimed a little too loudly. "Eat. Food. Yes."

On cue, literally, Ruby approached the table again with their meals. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist listening to where the conversation was going. It was too interesting to interrupt."

"No tip," Emma grumbled, pouting at being bested by a teenager.

The rest of the dinner passed by without another mention of anyone's sex life, for which Ree was pleased. The movie they picked out was a family film, but not a cartoon, and she'd watched Emma and Regina the rest of the night.

When it was time to sleep, Henry kissed her goodnight and left her to her dreams, one of which woke her rather unpleasantly in the middle of the night. Getting out of bed, Ree walked to Henry's room, raising her hand to knock on his door, but dropping it before making contact. She hesitated outside of his door, finally sighing and turning, trying to force herself to walk back to her own bed.

A light sleeper, Henry woke to the soft creak of the floorboards in the hallway outside his room, and he listened closely. After a moment, footsteps quietly padded away from his door, and he pulled himself out of bed, opening it and looking out into the hallway. "What's wrong?" he whispered, not quite sure in the darkness which brunette was there, a fact that made him slightly uncomfortable.

Turning, Ree bit her lip, "I didn't mean to wake you, Henry, I'm sorry. I'll just go back to bed now."

Smiling at the softer, higher-pitched voice, Henry shook his head. "Don't be silly, Ree. C'mere." He reached out, taking her hand and pulling her to him. "Why are you awake so late?"

"I had a nightmare. It's not very important," she murmured. "I came here by instinct, since you're so good at comforting me."

"Well then it's a good thing I'm awake," he teased lightly. "Come on, let me hold you." Drawing her into the room, he laid back down on his bed, pulling her with him and wrapping her in his arms. "What was your nightmare about?" he asked gently.

Nuzzling against him, her face against his warm, and bare, chest, Ree sighed softly, already feeling immensely better. "Just my mother. One of our arguments."

Henry turned his neck, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "Cora can't hurt you anymore, Ree. And my moms and I, we're gonna keep you safe from anyone else who might try and hurt you."

"I know. I believe you." Ree tilted her head up, brushing a light kiss to his lips. "You're wonderful, Henry. Thank you."

Smiling, Henry kissed her back gently. "I'm not trying to be," he whispered. "I just… I love you."

Blushing, she bit her lip in an attempt to hide her smile, but it came anyway, bright and happy. "I love you too, Henry. I really do."

"I asked my mom how you knew you loved someone, and told her that I thought that I love you. She said it sounded like I do. So I've been thinking about it a lot, and now I don't just think I love you, I know I love you. Even if it's crazy because we've only known each other a few days."

"I don't think love has to follow any rules," Ree answered, moving one of her hands to rest against his chest. "Speaking of which... will you explain your mothers' relationship to me again?"

"Huh?" Henry blinked at the, in his eyes, non sequitur. "They're friends," he said simply. "And family, because they're both my moms. Why?"

Ree shook her head. "I think you're wrong. I think... perhaps they like each other."

"My _moms_?" Henry's brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't think so. Besides, Mom likes someone. I think. She said there was someone she could maybe see herself being happy with, anyway."

"Well... did she tell you who? How do you not see it? They act like they're married, Henry," Ree explained, amused by his lack of observational skills.

Henry shook his head. "Of course she didn't tell me who, she's my mom, she doesn't talk about stuff like that with me. And they don't act like they're married," he added in protest. "They're friends, and they act like friends, that's all."

Chuckling, Ree shook her head and moved to sit up next to him. "Emma knew and ordered your mom's drink. They move around each other like it's the easiest and most comfortable thing in the world. And they flirt!"

"Mom always orders iced tea at family dinner," Henry sat up as well, crossing his arms over his chest and pouting. "And they were just messing with me. Plus, they've had six years of working with each other as my parents, so of course they're comfortable around each other."

"Calling Emma brawny and good looking? Tugging on her hair? Henry... I have less experience with relationships than you do and I see it, how do you not?" Ree exclaimed, laughing lightly.

"They're my _moms_," Henry whined.

"So?" She brought one hand up, cupping his cheek and stroking it with her thumb. "I believe I'm right, and if I am, would that bother you? I mean... do you not think they're compatible? They're both beautiful and kind. You said their magic works better together and they're both very powerful. They sound compatible to me."

Henry hesitated, conflicted on the subject. "Well… I mean, yeah, but… Wouldn't they have gotten together by now or something?"

Shrugging, Ree tilted her head in thought. "I don't know. Maybe neither wanted to risk their friendship if they were worried the other didn't like her the same way. Or maybe they think you wouldn't approve."

"Why on earth wouldn't I approve? I mean… it's weird, sure, but so's everything else in this town. I just want them to be happy."

"Sure, but do _they_ know that?"

"Well I was okay with Ma dating a skeezy one-handed pirate who wore eyeliner and only had one set of clothes," Henry retorted. "Can't get much worse than that."

"Again, how would they know that? It seems to me that everything they do revolves around you. Not in a bad way, just in the way that you're the most important person to them and it seems as though they would avoid doing anything you might not like."

Sighing loudly, Henry pulled Ree into his lap. "Why are you so smart?"

Grinning, Ree kissed his nose and said, "Because girls are smarter than boys."

"Meanie," he pouted, then grinned and flopped back down on his back, pulling her with him. After a moment, he asked, "Do you feel better?"

"I do," she answered with a nod. "I felt better the moment you pulled me in your arms."

"Good." Rearranging them so they were on their sides with Ree facing away from him, Henry murmured, "Now stop making me think about my moms and let me cuddle you."

"Depends." Ree pulled his arm tighter, hugging it tightly. "I'll stop if you promise you'll kiss me as much as I want tomorrow."

"I'll kiss you as much as you want whenever you want," Henry promised, nuzzling his face into the back of her neck.

"Mm, you're so warm," she whispered affectionately, wiggling deeper into his hold.

Humming, Henry held her tighter, murmuring back sleepily, "And you're comfy."

Ree closed her eyes, letting herself relax beside him, realizing that it wasn't far out of her imagination to hope it could be like this every night, sooner than later.

Regina woke up early for work the next day, earlier than necessary, and after getting ready she decided to cook Henry and Ree breakfast before she left. Once their meals were cooked, she went back upstairs to wake them, going to Ree's room first. She opened the door, ready to offer a hushed greeting, only to find that the bed was empty. Color draining from her face, Regina headed to Henry's room.

She pushed open the door, finding Ree curled in Henry's arms. As cute as the pair looked, Regina was upset that Henry had broken her trust; he knew she didn't want them sleeping in the same bed in her house. Making her way to the far side of the bed, she nudged Henry's shoulder, looking down at them with a frown.

"Nnnngh?" Henry groaned, forcing heavy eyelids to open. Blinking a few times to clear his vision, he looked up at Regina. "Mom?"

"Henry," she answered, her tone stiff. "I see you're obeying my rules."

"Huh?" It took blinking a few more times and an attempt to sit up, hindered by the girl entwined with him, for Henry to realize what she was talking about. "It's not what it looks like," he said, cringing at the cliche nature of his claim.

Giving him a light scoff, Regina shook her head. "Regardless of whether or not it is, you're not supposed to be sharing a bed in my house."

Carefully untangling himself, and trying to not wake Ree in the process, Henry slid out of bed. "It wasn't on purpose. Ree had a nightmare, and we were talking and fell asleep."

"Henry... you should have gone downstairs or something. I ask one simple thing in return for being as accepting as possible of you two, and you can't even try harder to keep it. I'm very disappointed in you, Henry."

Henry glanced at Ree, still sleeping peacefully, and pulled Regina out of the room, closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking, and I honestly didn't think we'd fall asleep," he sighed. "But she was upset and I just wanted to make her feel better as quickly as possible. She said… she said she had a nightmare about an argument with her mother, and that I make her feel safe. I promise, Mom, we didn't do anything, and I didn't intend to break the rules."

Looking into his eyes, Regina sighed and shook her head. "I give in to you too easily, Henry. You won't learn from your mistakes by getting away with everything."

Curling his toes against the floor, Henry looked down, nodding. "'Kay," he said quietly. "I'll pack a bag and stay at Grandma and Grandpa's place again."

Regina felt her stomach clench, upset with herself for making him sad. Taking a step forward, she reached for his hand. "No. That's not necessary, Henry."

"It is," Henry protested, looking back up at her. "You made the rules, and I broke them."

"Sweetheart," she countered, squeezing his fingers. "_I_ don't want you out of my house. I hate the thought of ever sending you away or making you stay somewhere else." Regina paused, looking away for a moment, then back up at him. "I apologize for the way I spoke to you, I shouldn't have done that. I just... even if you're not sleeping with her, she's there, she's here and she's... nevermind. But you can stay at home."

"Mom, if you can't tell me why the rules are there, how can I understand them?" Henry asked. "I need to know why it's so important."

Letting out a shaky breath, Regina shook her head. "You can't sleep with her before we know if she can stay, because if she goes home without proof that she's a virgin when she marries she will... it's possible they will hang her." She waited a moment, looking up at him, her baby boy, and finally said, "I can't handle it, Henry. I'm trying to be comfortable with the two of you, but she's me, and you're my son. And she hasn't even been here a week and already she's... just, not in my house, Henry. Not when I'm here."

Ree shifted in her sleep, wiggling and noticing it was cooler beside her than it had been. She turned, sad to find Henry gone and she was alone in his bed. "Henry?" she called hesitantly.

At the soft voice from his bedroom, Henry opened the door, poking his head in and smiling reassuringly. "Hey, I'll be right back, okay? You just stay comfy."

"Okay," Ree answered softly, nodding and laying back down how she had been, shifting to pull the covers up her body.

Closing the door again, Henry turned back to Regina, quietly asking, "Already she's… what?"

Clenching her jaw, Regina jerked her head once, side to side. "It doesn't matter, Henry."

"Of course it matters, Mom," Henry protested, reaching for her hand again and squeezing it. "Please talk to me?"

"She gets to be happy. Ree gets to keep her first love, because I will destroy anyone or anything that tries to harm _you._ And I... I still don't get to have that." Regina closed her eyes, looking away from him sadly. "And she gets to have that love with _you_. You're not supposed to be growing up so fast. You're not supposed to fall in love so young. I'm not ready to lose you to that! And especially not to a version of _me_ that is better than I ever got to be."

"Mom…" Henry trailed off helplessly, unsure of what to say, so he pulled her into a hug. "You're not gonna lose me. Not ever. And no matter what, you're still the best person I know, and you always have been - even when I didn't see it. You're so strong, and you love so hard." Thinking of Ree's words the night before, he added, "And I just know that you're going to get your love soon, too."

Regina held onto him tightly. "Thank you for thinking that, but I doubt it," she muttered, sighing softly. "You know... I just thought I'd have years more before you fell in love. You've never shown much interest in anyone, so I thought maybe it would be when you went away for college and it would be easier because you'd already be partially on your own. And I don't want to be Cora. I don't want to tell you how to love or who or any of that. Please, Henry, just... not down the hall from me. Not when I'm here."

Henry held back a sigh. "Mom, we haven't. I know last night and this morning made you think that, but we didn't. It wasn't about any of that. And we'll be extra careful in the future. But… to be honest, it's not really any different than when you found us napping on the couch the first day she was here."

"Yes it is," she countered, shaking her head against his chest. "Because you love her now. Or you think you do, right? That first day was an infatuation. This is much more involved."

"Okay," Henry agreed, nodding. "That's a fair point." Releasing his sigh this time, he hugged her tighter. "Oh, and Mom?"

"Yes, sweetheart?" Regina asked softly.

Hesitating for a moment, Henry murmured, "Ree pointed out something to me last night. That I never really let you and Ma know that… that I just want you to be happy. No matter who it's with."

"Okay." She pulled back just slightly, looking up and him with a sad and proud look. "I love you, Henry. No matter what, whether I get my love or not, you will always be, as you always have been, my truest love."

"I love you, too, Mom," Henry smiled, then slightly awkwardly looked at the wall over her head. "Um, also, Ree says that Emma likes you, too, and after thinking about it, I think she's right, and I think you should go for it 'cuz Ma's kinda dense and blind and still sometimes terrified of you, so I don't think she'd make the first move."

Eyes widening, Regina bit her lip and looked away. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Yeah, okay," Henry agreed, wanting to be out of the conversation as quickly as possible. "Just, y'know, keep it in mind. Just in case. Or something."

"Thank you, Henry. For wanting me to be happy, and for being such a good young man. I may be terrified of you aging, but I'm pleased I can know that you're one of the few good people left."

Henry blushed, shrugging slightly. "Thanks, Mom." Finally letting go of her and stepping back, he asked, "By the way, why'd you come into my room in the first place?"

Smiling softly, Regina focused her eyes on his face, not wanting to acknowledge the fact that her son was hardly dressed in her hallway. "I made you two breakfast."

"Cool," Henry grinned. "I'll get Ree. And, uh… a shirt," he added, looking down at himself and coloring again.

"Thank you. I don't need further reminding that you're more of a man than my little boy," Regina answered.

Chuckling, Henry nodded, heading back into his room and smiling at Ree once he'd closed the door behind himself again. "Morning, beautiful," he greeted softly.

Ree blushed lightly, smiling up at him. "Good morning. Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, more or less," Henry answered, grabbing a t-shirt from his drawer and pulling it on. "Mom was pretty unhappy about the fact that we fell asleep in the same bed. But we talked and it's fine now."

"Oh! I'm so sorry, Henry. I didn't mean to get you into trouble." Ree stood from the bed, moving to stand in front of him.

"Hey, it's okay," Henry assured her, smiling and pulling her against him. He had a moment of disorientation, having just been in the same position with his mother. "I'm not in trouble. We just have to be a little more careful, that's all. Can't fall asleep together again."

Sliding her arms around his waist, Ree slid her hands beneath the bottom of his shirt, her palms flat against his back. "That's too bad," she whispered, her cheek against his chest. "It was very nice being held all night."

"Mmhmm," Henry hummed in agreement. After a moment, he added, "Mom made us breakfast."

"That was nice of her." Ree pulled away, looking up at him with an eager grin. "Will she be terribly upset if I hold you to your promise from last night for a moment, first?"

Chuckling, Henry dipped his head, brushing his lips over hers and murmuring, "Only if we take long enough for her to get suspicious."

"Then we'll have to be fairly quick," she whispered, pressing her lips to his harder than he had, mouth opening for him.

Henry hummed, sliding his tongue over her bottom lip and into her mouth, flicking against the tip of hers.

Ree let out a soft moan, meeting his tongue with hers and moving her hands to grip his waist, tugging him tighter to her.

Turning them slightly, Henry backed Ree up against the wall, leaning his body against hers to pin her in place while he kissed her.

She scratched the skin she was holding, trying to calm the heat flooding her body. Pulling back from the kiss, Ree nipped his bottom lip playfully, then a little harder before sucking it between her own lips.

Henry groaned, pressing tight against her for a moment before backing away and breaking the kiss. "I think we'd better go downstairs," he said, taking a deep breath and willing his growing erection to go away.

"I suppose you're probably right." She leaned up to him, pressing a soft, and much more innocent, kiss to his mouth before moving to pull open the door. "I'm going to get dressed. I'll see you downstairs."

"'Kay," Henry nodded, watching her leave before leaning back against the wall with a loud exhale. Four more days, and then however long it would be before Ree was ready and comfortable, and all he wanted to do was take her to bed and bury himself inside her. Thoughts of which were not helping the situation in his pajama pants, so he forced his mind off the subject, changing into a pair of boxers and jeans before going downstairs.

Regina was finishing packing her lunch when Henry came in the kitchen. "I'll see you at quarter after five," she told him, picking up her purse. "Have a good day, Henry."

Henry nodded, kissing her on the cheek as they passed each other. "You too, Mom."

Moments after Regina left, Ree walked down the stairs and into the kitchen. "I'm sorry... I was avoiding her. She has to forgive you... she's your mom," she said, explaining why it had taken her longer than necessary to change.

Henry's expression turned sympathetic, and he reached for Ree's hand. "She's not mad at you. She's just kind of uncomfortable."

"How can you be certain?" Squeezing his hand, she wrapped her free arm around him, resting her cheek against his chest. "I feel as though I've unsettled the balance of your home."

"I can be certain because I know my mom," Henry replied, wrapping his free arm around her as well. "And maybe you have, but is that a bad thing? I know that I like it that you're here, and god only knows how long it would take anyone to do anything about Mom and Ma."

Ree chuckled, looking up at him with a smile. "Does that mean you're going to try to get them together?"

Shrugging sheepishly, Henry muttered, "Maybe."

"That's wonderful, Henry! Besides, maybe if they're focused on each other they won't be so focused on us."

"There's that, too," he nodded, grinning a little.

Ree grinned back, then asked, "Is that what we're going to do today, or do you have something else in mind?"

"Whatever you wanna do," Henry replied, squeezing her closer. "We can do that, or go back to the stables, watch movies, play games, surf the net, anything."

"We could work on getting your mothers together. I mean, you know them better than anyone, right? How could we do it?" she asked, excited to be a part of helping his mothers be happy.

Henry guided Ree to the island, where two plates of eggs, bacon, and toast were laid out. Pulling out the stools and sitting, he considered her question. "Well, I already talked to Mom about it. I told her that I was okay with her being with whoever she wants, if it means she's happy, even if it's Ma. I mean, she said she didn't know what I was talking about, but it was pretty obvious that she did."

Ree nodded her understanding. "Do you think she'll do anything about it? What about Emma? Do you want to go discuss it with her?" She picked up her toast, picking it apart and eating a small bite as she looked at him.

Chewing and swallowing his large mouthful of eggs, Henry shrugged. "I think she'll make a move… in like two years or something. Ma won't make a move. She's too intimidated by Mom, too worried about screwing things up. I think someone **should** talk to her, but I really don't think it should be me. She'd pretty much just shut me down, say I was seeing things, or maybe suggest that I just want them together because what kid doesn't want his parents together?"

"Are you suggesting I talk to her? I've spent perhaps five minutes total with her, what makes you think she would listen to me?" Ree ignored the rest of her food, still picking at her toast. Taking another bite, she raised her eyebrows at Henry in curiosity.

"Because you don't have a reason to see something that's not there," Henry said logically. "You're a totally neutral, outside observer. You don't know their history, and you don't have any preconceived ideas about them."

Ree let out a nervous laugh, then looked at him with disbelief in her eyes. "And what am I supposed to say? 'I think you should date adult me, because I know you like her with the limited time I've spent here?' What reason would she have to not laugh me off?"

"Just tell her what you told me," Henry said, nudging her with his shoulder and smiling. "Or ask if she and Mom are secretly together or something. I mean, you _did_ ask me if they were together."

Giving a little hum, Ree nodded. "And where will you be?"

Thinking about that as he ate, Henry finally suggested, "We could go to the park. Grandpa works today, so we could ask Ma to meet us at the park with Neal. He and I will go play on the jungle gym or something, and you can talk to Emma. Then after, come play, too." He grinned widely, liking the idea.

"All right. I suppose I can at least give it a try," she answered, picking up her plate and scraping her eggs and bacon onto his plate. "But if she is unhappy about it, I'm placing full blame on you."

"That's fine," Henry agreed distractedly, frowning at his plate. "Aren't you hungry?"

Shaking her head, Ree bit her lip shyly. "Not really. I've already eaten so much more than I'm used to since being here. This is too much for breakfast."

"Are you sure?" Henry asked, concerned. "Or is that the Cora-voice in your head?"

"I'm sure," she answered, leaning in and kissing his cheek. "But thank you for checking. I will have an apple though." Reaching to the center of the island, she picked up one of the shiny red apples from the bowl that rested there.

"Okay," Henry agreed, although he picked up a slice of bacon and tore it in half, holding one to her mouth. "But at least have some bacon."

"If you insist," Ree complied, taking the piece from his fingers and taking a bite. Once she had chewed and swallowed, she asked, "When shall we go?"

Wiping his fingers off and taking out his phone, Henry said, "I'll text Ma and see what works best for her."

Leaning closer to him, she furrowed her brow in confusion. "What is a text?"

Henry turned the phone so she could see the screen. "It's like sending a bird," he explained. "But it's faster and doesn't poop on you."

Ree gave him an unamused look, the corner of her mouth quirking up slightly. "I'll have you know, I have never been... _pooped on_ by anything, especially not a bird."

"Yeah, well, that makes one of us," Henry muttered, the tips of his ears turning red as he typed out the message to Emma.

"If you have use of phones to text people, what reason would you have to be close enough to a bird to have it do such a thing?" she asked, laughing affectionately at his blush.

"Mom sent me a bird once," Henry admitted, shrugging a little and setting his phone down once the message was sent, turning back to his extra breakfast.

Ree leaned against him, resting her head lightly against his shoulder as he ate. "I like when you blush."

"I like it better when _you_ blush."

"Of course you do. I think that's why you found my mishap with your computer so entertaining."

Chuckling at the memory, Henry turned to look at her directly, asking, "How on earth did that happen, anyway? I mean… pornadoes don't just open by themselves."

Ree looked down, watching her hands as she pulled at her fingers. "I... was looking something up. I wanted to know about something."

"What?" he asked curiously, rather interested in what had Ree suddenly so shy.

"You said we could... that we could kiss each other, um, between our legs... and I wanted to know what to do," she answered softly, her neck and cheeks flushing.

Henry was quiet for a moment, absorbing that. Swallowing hard, he asked, "Um, were you… looking at videos?"

Ree's blush deepened and she nodded. "I searched at first, and... read some things and one page called it a 'blow job' so I looked that up, and... well, some videos came up."

"And you watched them?" Henry clarified, his pants getting tighter with each passing second.

"I couldn't possibly have watched all of them. There were thousands! But I... yes, I watched some. Is that bad? I'm sorry if I shouldn't have," she rushed, watching him intently for his response, trying to gauge if he was upset.

"No no no," Henry said quickly, breathily, shaking his head. He turned on his stool to face her, looking down at the hard bulge in his jeans. "That's really, _really_… fucking hot."

Ree followed his gaze, swallowing thickly. "Oh. Well, then I guess I feel less embarrassed. I was thinking about it when I was alone and thought maybe... I could try it. It would be a way for you to... be inside me without... you know."

Henry nodded, biting his lip hard. "Does that mean I could do that to you, too?"

Letting out a shaky breath, Ree slid off her stool and moved to stand between his legs. She wrapped her arms around his neck and nodded. "If you want to, yes."

"I _so_ want to," Henry groaned. His phone buzzed as he was about to lean up to kiss her, and he cursed under his breath. "Sometimes I hate Emma," he sighed, pulling away enough to check the text message.

She dropped her head to his shoulder, sighing heavily. "Another time, then?"

"Maybe not," Henry murmured, reading the text with a slow grin. "Ma's busy until this afternoon, so she can't take Neal to the park until around two."

"So..." Ree started, matching his grin with her own, "we have all morning to do anything else we want?"

"Uh-huh." Henry sent a quick 'okay, see you at 2' text and tossed his phone back on the counter, turning back to Ree. "Anything you have in mind?" he teased.

Moving closer to him until the stool seat he was on pressed against her legs, Ree licked her lips, then rolled them together. "I believe I've now mentioned two things I'm interested in trying with you. The choice is yours."

Henry brought his hands to her hips, squeezing lightly. "Maybe we should go back up to my room?"

"That would be a good place to start." She moved backwards, slowly pulling away from him. "I think it's time we at least got to properly kiss in your bed without interruption."

"Definitely," Henry agreed, standing and following her closely. "Plus, I want to see you. I want to know what you look like, naked on my bed."

Ree felt a rush of heat flood her body and go straight between her legs. "And do I get the same? Will you be completely naked for me, too, Henry?"

Henry nodded, "If you want me to. I would love to feel all of your soft skin against me." Taking her hand, he led her upstairs, eager to explore her without limits on space or time.

When they got to his bedroom, Ree stood shyly by the bed after the door was shut. "I... You've always been the one to start undressing me. Should we... or do we..." She didn't know why she was being awkward, they were very good at being intimate.

Sitting down, Henry pulled her down onto the bed with him, smiling warmly and kissing her. "Don't overthink it," he whispered. "Just do what feels good, okay?"

Nodding, she whispered back, "Everything with you feels good." Ree kissed him, moving her arms to wrap around his shoulders again and pull him tighter to her.

Henry smiled and deepened the kiss, running his fingertips up her bare arm to her shoulder and cupping the back of her neck.

She slid her tongue against his, moving her arms from around his neck so she could grip his shirt at his waist.

Humming, Henry sucked on her tongue, nipping at the tip before kissing her again, his other hand sliding down her side and leg, pulling up the hem of her dress so he could touch skin.

Ree moved her hands beneath his t-shirt, her fingers roaming the skin over his slender muscles. Breaking the kiss, she moved her mouth down his jaw, before nipping at the edge of it. "I want you to touch me more, Henry," she breathed, her voice low.

"Where do you want me to touch you?" Henry whispered back, taking one of her hands in his. "Show me."

Leading his hand back to her thigh, Ree looped her fingers around his wrist and pulled his hand up until his fingertips were on the band of her underwear. She let go of his wrist, leaning in to kiss him again. "Everywhere. Please, Henry."

With his other hand, Henry reached for the zipper at the back of her dress, pulling it down and taking a moment - and both hands - to unclasp her bra. "Lay back," he whispered, using his body to press her down onto the bed.

When she was on her back, Ree bent one knee automatically, bringing her foot to rest flat against the bed. She tugged his shirt up, trying to pull it off before asking for his help, telling him to lift his arms.

Balancing on his knees, Henry did as he was asked, letting her pull the shirt off. He pulled back a little, meeting her gaze and asking, "Can I take your dress off?"

"Yes." Ree sat up, shifting so she wasn't sitting on any part of the purple fabric. She wanted him to undress her, she badly wanted to be naked beside him, to touch him and have him do the same to her.

Henry licked his lips as he pulled the dress down, taking her bra with it and leaving her in just a pair of dark blue cotton panties. "You're so beautiful, Ree."

Blushing, she thanked him, whispering the words softly enough she wasn't certain he could hear. But she pulled him down against her, letting out a pleased sigh when she felt his warm skin against her breasts.

Sighing happily at the feeling of skin-on-skin, Henry shifted over her and bent his head to kiss her, sliding his tongue into her mouth to seek out hers.

Ree met his tongue with hers and sprawled her hands over his back, wanting to touch as much of him as she could. She scratched lightly where her fingers laid against his skin, moaning into his mouth, her hips moving automatically in desire to feel him against her.

Henry moved one hand down between them, lifting his hips from her enough to tug at the button and zipper of his jeans, wriggling out of them and kicking them away before settling against her again, two thin layers of cotton the only thing keeping them apart.

Moaning, she tilted her head, kissing his neck softly. Ree looked into his eyes and smiled. "I love you, Henry," she whispered, then returned her mouth to his neck.

"I love you, too," Henry whispered back, sliding one hand between her thighs and parting them so he could shift between them, pressing his hardness against her heat.

Ree rolled her hips up against him, groaning at how little was between them. "You feel so good, Henry." She brought one hand up to hold the back of his neck, pulling him down to kiss her again.

Grinding against her, Henry groaned into her mouth, murmuring, "You're so wet," as he felt dampness seeping through his boxers.

"I... You do that to me, Henry. I feel like that sometimes just thinking about you, even when you're not near," she admitted, body flushing with warmth.

"I get hard thinking about you, too," Henry whispered, trailing his mouth over her jaw and shifting backward to continue down her neck and chest, generously laving her nipples with his tongue.

Ree arched her back, pressing her chest closer to him. "I really like that," she moaned, biting her lip and looking down at him. Moving her hand into his hair, she held him there, wanting more.

Humming, Henry grinned around her nipple and sucked it lightly, flicking his tongue against the tip.

"Oh, yes," Ree breathed, her head pressing hard against the bed. "More, oh please, Henry?"

Murmuring an agreement, Henry switched to the other side, his fingers taking over, rolling her saliva-slick nipple between his fingers.

She whimpered, fingers tangling in his hair and holding him tight. Bringing her free hand up, Ree covered the hand he had on her breast, squeezing encouragingly.

Taking the hint, Henry massaged her breast. Moving so he was resting his weight on his elbows, he brought both hands to her breasts, switching his mouth back and forth between them.

Ree smirked as she looked down at him. "Do you like doing that? I can't imagine it would bring as much pleasure for you as it seems to for me."

"Your skin is delicious," he answered, grinning up at her with glinting eyes. "And I think you underestimate how much pleasure I get from giving you pleasure."

Blushing, she shook her head and said, "But I want you to feel _actual_ pleasure." Ree moved her hand between their bodies, sliding down his stomach to reach for him.

Henry groaned, shaking his head slightly. "I want to taste you first."

She hesitated a moment. The idea was thrilling. His mouth on her breasts did wonders, she couldn't imagine how amazing it would be _there_. But, "You always please me first. Are you sure that doesn't bother you?" she asked.

"If you did me first, I'd just have to come again after," Henry said, blushing a little. "That's how much it turns me on to do this to you."

Sighing softly, she nodded and blushed. "I just wish we knew. I-I know it hasn't been long, but I just really want to be with you."

Leaning up to brush their lips together, Henry whispered, "Me too. Three more days. We can make it."

Ree nodded, grinning at him. "All right, you win. You can have your naughty way with me first."

Chuckling, Henry kissed her again before sliding off the bed, his fingers hooking in the waistband of her panties. He glanced up quickly and, seeing no protest in her face, he pulled the cotton down, his gaze greedy as he took in her nude form. "Wow…"

"Wow?" she whispered back, wondering what he meant by that. Ree pushed herself up on her elbows, leaning up to look at him.

"I never thought anyone could be this beautiful."

Blushing, she shook her head, reaching for a pillow and bringing it to cover her face. She was too easily flattered by him.

Kneeling between her thighs again, Henry tugged at the pillow, shaking his head and murmuring, "I want to see your face, my pretty princess."

"I'm sure you do, my handsome prince," she answered, tossing the pillow aside, "but you insist on making me blush, and such a thing makes it hard to look at you. Especially when you're so close to such a sensitive area."

Henry smirked. "You mean… this area?" he asked innocently, dragging his fingertips up the length of her sex.

Gasping, Ree raised her hips at his touch. "Now look who's trouble," she whispered, wetting her lips with her tongue.

Watching her tongue, Henry's eyebrows rose mischievously. "There's a thought," he murmured, shifting back and down, his upper body cradled between her legs, and he repeated his earlier move with his tongue.

"Oh gods," Ree whimpered, a fresh wave of heat thrumming through her body to her core. "That feels incredible, Henry."

Groaning, Henry responded, "You _taste_ incredible." Hooking his arms around her thighs, he held her in place, using his tongue to part her folds and dip into her core, then drag up, circling her clit.

She tried to control her hips, but it was like they were acting on their own, rolling up against him and trembling against his mouth.

Henry hummed appreciatively against her and closed his lips around her clit, sucking it like he had her nipples.

"Feels so good," Ree whispered. Focusing her gaze where he was between her thighs, she watched his lips as he sucked on her, clearing her thoughts of everything except blissfulness and him.

Opening his eyes, Henry looked up at her, meeting her gaze intently as he flicked his tongue over the tip of her clit.

Ree rocked her hips up, wanting more. "Gods, Henry... Oh, that's amazing," she muttered.

Letting out another groan, Henry replaced his mouth with his thumb, rubbing in circles as he moved back down to her entrance, licking at her with the flat of his tongue.

Moving one hand down, Ree brushed the hand on her leg with her fingertips. She let out a soft moan in response to him, while still trying to keep her body in control.

The need to be _inside_, to feel the heat and wetness around him, was driving Henry crazy, and he moved his hand back to her other thigh, using only his mouth on her to try and lessen the temptation.

"Please, Henry? I want to-" Ree whimpered, the need to allow herself to be consumed cutting off her sentence. She rocked her hips up again, biting her lip and muttering an apology.

Henry shifted his head slightly, resting his forehead against her thigh and panting for breath, trying to get himself under control. "Ree… it's been almost a week, but if… I don't want to make things worse for you. But I want you so bad."

Ree shook her head, pushing herself to sit up. Taking his face in her hands, she pulled his face up to look at her. "I love you. I want you to be my first, Henry. Please?"

"Are you sure?" he whispered hoarsely. "I don't want to pressure you…"

"I am completely certain. I just didn't want to ask. Your-your mothers seemed so insistent and I didn't want to upset them," she answered honestly.

Henry cupped her cheek with one hand, drawing her into a slow kiss. "I can handle them," he whispered, then pulled away to reach into his nightstand, pulling out a square foil packet.

Frowning in wonder as to why he wasn't taking her yet, Ree looked at what Henry had. "What is that?" she asked, tugging on his arm gently.

"Oh, uh…" Henry looked down as he pushed his boxers off and then opened the packet. "It's called a condom. It, um, keeps me from getting you pregnant." Carefully, he pinched the tip and rolled it onto his erection, taking a slow breath.

Smiling softly, she nodded in understanding. "That's convenient." Ree moved her hands to his arms, smoothing her palms over his skin and squeezing him. "I want you, Henry."

"I want you, too," he whispered back, guiding her down onto the bed again and kneeling between her thighs. Taking himself in hand, he brought the tip to her entrance, then glanced up again, apologetically saying, "It might hurt, sorry." And then he was pressing into her.

Breath catching, Ree winced a little, noticing that it was less painful and more a slight burning sensation. But the feeling of Henry being in her most private area, the feeling of his body merging with hers was so much more intense that it didn't even bother her, not really. "Oh, Henry," she breathed, looking up at him.

"Ree," his voice was choked as he met her gaze, and even with the condom on, dulling the sensation, it felt incredible to be inside her. Finally, their hips met, and he paused, leaning down to kiss her.

She tilted her chin up, meeting his lips with her own, then wrapping her arms around his shoulders. "You feel wonderful," Ree whispered, cheeks flushing.

"So do you…" A little hesitant in his inexperience, Henry drew back, then pushed forward again, rocking into her in a slightly unsteady rhythm.

Using the little bit of knowledge she'd gained from what they had done together, Ree moved her hips to match his, remembering how good it had felt when they moved together with their clothes. She let out a heavy moan, squeezing the muscles beneath her hands.

As the sensations became more familiar, Henry became more confident, gentle but steady as he stroked into her. Kissing her again, he parted her lips with his tongue and mimicked the movement of his hips.

She kissed him back as they moved together, little sounds escaping her throat and being muffled by his mouth. Ree raised her legs more, squeezing his sides with her knees, then moved one hand into his hair, holding his mouth close to hers.

Lowering himself to rest on his forearms so their bodies pressed together, Henry cupped the back of her head and her shoulder in his hands, his own sounds of pleasure echoing hers.

Breaking the kiss, Ree moved her lips down over his jaw, kissing the soft skin between his jaw and neck and burying her face into him. She couldn't believe how incredible it felt to finally be with him, how connected she felt to him.

"Ree," Henry whispered shakily, reaching between them with one hand to find her clit again. "You feel too good, I'm too close…"

Ree nodded, kissing his neck. "Keep doing that and I think I'll be able to hurry," she murmured.

Pressing his face into her neck, Henry nodded as well, rolling his thumb over her clit as he thrust into her.

She didn't know if it was because of the extra stimulation from him being inside of her while he touched her, or just the excitement of the moment, but Ree felt her body filling with that warm feeling, starting from her belly and moving through the rest of her body. Moaning, she moved her head back, nudging Henry with her nose and whispering, "I'm close, too. I want to see you."

Henry nearly whimpered and lifted his head, looking down at Ree with hazy eyes, moving hips and thumb faster against her. "I'm gonna come," he breathed out. "Come with me, Ree, please…"

"Okay," she agreed, chocolate eyes trained on darkened green. A short moment later, she told him she was ready, she was going to come, and she did. Her entire body tensed and spasmed and she reveled in how much better it felt to do so surrounding something rather than feeling nothing inside. "Henry! Oh gods, Henry!"

Henry let out a pained groan, his hips jerking against her as the feeling of her tightening around him sent him over the edge, his arm trembling to continue holding him up.

When Ree came down, she moved her arms back around his shoulders, leaning up and kissing his jaw, chin, then lips, her mouth parting under every bit of skin her lips brushed against.

Once he got his strength back a bit, Henry carefully pulled away and disposed of the condom, then drew Ree into his side. "I don't… That was…" Looking down at her, he brushed her hair back and whispered, "I love you."

She looked up at him, biting her lip and blushing. "It was the best thing I've ever felt," Ree murmured, moving one arm to rest across his stomach. "I love you, too, Henry. So much more than I ever thought possible."

"Me too." Henry smiled warmly, kissing her temple and inhaling the scent of her hair. "I want to be with you always."

"I want that, too. I want to always be yours. I cannot imagine ever feeling for another the way I feel for you." Ree squeezed his waist tightly, somehow feeling as though she couldn't get close enough to him.

Wrapping both arms around her, Henry nodded. "Me too. I want… I know we're only seventeen, but… I-I want to marry you, Ree."

Her eyes widened and she looked up at him. "I... well, I was always meant to be married at a young age. Why not with the person I truly love?" she reasoned softly.

Henry bit his lip around a slow grin. "Really? You'd… you want to marry me?"

"I love you, and I know you love me. Why wouldn't I want to?"

"I don't know… I thought… maybe it would freak you out."

Shaking her head, Ree leaned up and gave him a chaste kiss. "No. Marrying you by choice would make me very happy. I know you would never take my choice away."

"Never," Henry agreed, kissing her back.

When it was time to get ready for them to meet Emma, Ree reluctantly left Henry's arms in favor of a shower and fresh clothing. She had purposefully slid into jeans and a royal blue v-neck t-shirt, knowing he very much liked her in jeans.

He tugged her along, leading her to the park they were meeting his mother and uncle at, and Ree couldn't keep the smile from her face every time she looked at him and thought about their morning. She was slightly sore in the aftermath, but it was most definitely worth it.

"Henry!" Neal called happily, running over and grinning up at the older boy.

"Hey, squirt," Henry said cheerfully, letting go of Ree to scoop Neal up and sling him upside-down over his shoulder. "Hey, Ma," he waved to Emma, before trotting off to the playground equipment, purposely jostling Neal to make him giggle and shriek.

Chuckling, Emma shook her head and turned to Ree. "I see how it is. The boys go off to have their adventures and leave us here," she joked.

"Well, perhaps they have seriously manly business to discuss," Ree laughed, shifting awkwardly in the other woman's presence. "How was your day?"

"Not bad," Emma answered easily, smiling and tilting her head toward one of the benches that lined the park. After they sat down, she asked, "What about you? How's your day been going so far?"

"Oh... just fine," she answered, willing herself not to blush and chastising herself for thinking the question wouldn't come back to her. "I like what I've learned of this world, there are many things much easier here than back home."

Emma nodded vigorously. "I hear ya. Indoor plumbing and tampons are way up there."

"What are tampons?" Ree asked, nose scrunching in confusion.

"... Oh." Emma shifted a little uncomfortably, then shrugged. "They're these like, tube things for when you have your period," she explained. "You put 'em in and they soak up the blood. No mess."

Ree twisted her lips in thought, then nodded. "That sounds terribly unsanitary."

"Wha?" Emma stared at Ree for a second, then shook her head. "No, no. It's like, it's cotton. So it absorbs. It's like a cotton torpedo - wait, you won't know that reference - um…"

"Um... very well." Lost on when to best bring up Regina, Ree decided to jump right in. "Can you explain something to me? Henry couldn't quite manage it, at least not in a manner that was clear to me."

"Sure, as long as it's not about tampons, 'cuz apparently I'm failing at that, too," Emma chuckled.

Ree laughed lightly, shaking her head. "No... I'll leave that to Regina when I need to use such things. You all said it's perfectly normal here for two women to be together, or two men... I was wondering then... Are you and Regina a couple?"

Emma did a double-take at that, her brow furrowing. "What? No, of course not. Why… why would you even think that?" Palms growing a little sweaty, she wiped them down her thighs, drying them with her jeans.

"Oh. Well, you seem like it. You spend a lot of time together and you speak to each other as though you are courting." Ree turned slightly, giving herself a better view of the blonde's reactions. "I think Regina likes you. Is it that you don't find her attractive?"

"Of course not, everyone knows Regina's the most gorgeous woman in town," Emma immediately dismissed the question. "And Regina doesn't like me, trust me. I mean, we're friends, but that's it."

"I disagree." Leaving the thought for a moment, she decided to push on Emma's feelings more. "So you think she's pretty, but she's just not your type?"

Pushing out a breath, Emma shrugged. "I don't really have a type. I mean, I dated a thief, a pirate… okay, maybe I do have a type," she chuckled. "I seem to like the bad ones. So yeah, I guess Regina's my type."

Nodding, and furrowing her brows at the woman's questionable tastes, Ree pursed her lips. "Is there a different reason you're not interested in her? I mean, your arguments are lacking."

Glancing at Ree out of the corner of her eye, Emma asked, "Why do you even care whether I'm interested in Regina or not?"

Ree shrugged. "I don't know. At dinner the other night you two seemed very cozy and you seem to get along very well. It seemed like there was something there, and you're both single, beautiful, smart women."

"Mm." Emma sat quietly for a minute, thinking about that. Finally she blew out a gusty sigh and said, "Okay, so here's the thing. You're right, I do like Regina. But half the time it seems like she barely tolerates me, and I don't want to screw up the friendship we have, you know?" She shrugged and leaned further into the bench. "So that's it. Obviously I'd appreciate it if Regina never found out about it."

"Oh, Emma, I truly do believe you're wrong," Ree protested. "I mean... well, she was definitely flirting with you at the diner. She played with your hair! And mentioned your strength and looks. It was most certainly more than just friendly."

It was Emma's turn to shrug then and she pointed out, "You haven't been around when I've screwed something up. Look, I appreciate what you're trying to do, Ree, but trust me, it's better for everyone if you just forget about this conversation."

Ree sighed, but said, "If you say so, I will drop it. But you should consider what I said, just think about it."

"Trust me, kid, I think about it more than I should," Emma muttered. "You should go join Henry and Neal," she nodded toward the swings. "Let loose a little."

"Right. I suppose so," she muttered, getting up from the bench. Ree turned before walking away, looking down at the blonde. "For what it's worth, whatever part you played in raising Henry... he's a wonderful and good person, nothing like the wretched and lecherous men I met back home. And at the very least, you and Regina did something right together for the last several years."

"Thanks." Emma's lips tilted up in a small smile. Then, a thought occurring to her, she asked, "Hey, have you ever met King Leopold and Queen Eva?"

"I've never met them, but I've heard many stories about Queen Eva's beauty and kindness. King Leopold is told to be a kind man and a good King, but my mother isn't very fond of him," Ree answered, tilting her head. "Why do you ask?"

"Damn," Emma sighed. "It's just… they were my grandparents, and I was hoping to get a non-biased opinion of them."

"I'm sorry I couldn't offer more, but if it means anything, they are spoken of very lovingly by the people in the kingdom."

Emma nodded. "Yeah, I know. Thanks anyway, Ree."

"Anytime." Turning, she headed over to where Henry was with Neal, stopping just a few feet away from them so she didn't interrupt.

Neal noticed her first, as Henry had his back to her, and the little boy grinned widely. "Auntie… no, not Auntie. Ree!"

Henry looked over his shoulder and grinned as well. "Hey, princess. How'd it go?"

Ree shook her head. "You'll have to work your other mom harder. Emma wants me to forget about the conversation entirely," she answered, moving to kneel on the ground. "Hello Neal, are you having fun?"

Nodding happily, Neal explained, "I was on the swings and Henry was pushin' me real high and I was gonna touch the cloud," he looked up and pointed, "that one right there! But then I got kinda dizzy so Henry said we hadta take a break, so now we're makin' a sand castle!" He looked proudly down at the lopsided structure.

"I told Neal the sand was too dry to make a sand castle," Henry added with a chuckle. "So the little monkey magicked up some water and just started building." Turning his attention to Neal, he said, "You know I'm gonna have to tell your mom that you were using magic."

Neal whined. "Do you haaaaafta? It was just a liiiiiiittle bit of magic!"

"Rules are rules, squirt." Henry reached out, mussing up Neal's hair affectionately.

Watching their interaction with bright eyes, Ree chuckled and grabbed some sand in her fist. "I think it looks lovely so far, Neal. Can I help? I've never built a sandcastle before!"

Neal's eyes went wide at Ree's admission. "You've _never_ builded a sand castle before? I'll show you how!" He abruptly flattened what he'd built so far and patted the sand down smooth. Then, to the side, he gathered a large pile of dry sand and stared at it intently, his brow furrowed. After a moment, the sand darkened, becoming wet.

Henry shook his head slightly at the second magical infraction, knowing that the boy was just showing off now.

"Okay!" Neal explained, grinning at Ree and taking a fistful of sand. "So you gotta make a tower," he directed, and planted the sand down in the middle of the flat area. "Put your sand on top."

Ree did as instructed, laughing with the boy's excitement. Reaching her other hand up, she grabbed Henry's hand and tugged him to his knees.

Henry laughed and pitched in to help build the castle, and once it was finished, he took a picture of it upon Neal's demand, taking one of just the castle, and another with the three of them squished together behind it.

After a bit more playing on the swings and slide, Emma finally called over that it was time to head home, and the four of them walked back to Mifflin street together, parting ways only when they got to the mansion, Henry and Ree going inside only a few minutes before Regina pulled up.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is the end of the story! I hope you all liked it! Please feel free to leave reviews letting us know what you think!**

Regina was exhausted when she got home, greeting Henry and Ree in the kitchen before heading upstairs to change before she made dinner. When she finished changing her clothes, she noticed the hamper was too full, so she picked it up and walked down the hall to Henry's room. Pushing the door open, she spotted a couple of shirts hanging off his desk chair, and she picked them up, sighing at his unmade bed. She pulled the duvet up, straightening it a little and noticed something silver out of the corner of her eye.

Regina turned and looked at it, eyes widening when she realized what it was, and what was in the trash bin beside it. Furious, she walked to his door and yelled, "Henry Daniel Mills, you get up here, now! Alone!"

Henry froze in the kitchen, his eyes wide and blood running cold. It had been a **long** time since his mother had sounded **that** angry **and** broken out the full name. "Uh, be back," he said quickly, and sprinted up the stairs, knowing that whatever the problem was, dawdling would only make it worse.

Ree watched Henry walk away, worried about what he could be in trouble for. Surely his mother couldn't know what they had done that day.

Folding her arms over her chest, Regina leaned against his door, trying her best to calm down before he got to her.

Nervously, Henry approached, asking, "Yeah, Mom?"

"Would you like to explain to me why there's a used condom in your trash?"

"Uh…" Henry glanced into the room, awkwardly shifting from foot to foot. "Because I forgot to empty the bin?"

Clenching her jaw, Regina waved one hand into the room. "Do not give me that lip, Henry. You know perfectly well what I mean!"

Straightening, Henry squared his jaw and calmly stated, "I'm not going to apologize for being intimate with my fiancée."

Regina raised her eyebrows, running her tongue along the inside of her teeth. "First of all, you agreed, not until we were certain she wasn't going back! You know they can kill her for that! Secondly, your what?"

"She wasn't physically a virgin, Mom," Henry sighed, the morning of talking, cuddling, and Googling having proved insightful. "She rides horses, remember? There's no more proof now than there was before she even got here. And yes, my fiancée. I told Ree that I want to marry her, and she agreed. We want to get married."

"You are children! You're not even old enough to get married, Henry. And putting that fact aside, and her physical condition before you two... Henry, you promised me," she hissed, disappointment lacing her words.

"I know, Mom," Henry sighed. "And I'm sorry for disappointing you. I thought it was a promise I could keep, but it wasn't."

Shaking her head, Regina opened her mouth to speak, then thought before she said anything. After a moment of considering her words, she said, "Ree and I are going to Emma's. You can order some pizza or go to Granny's for dinner."

"'Kay," Henry nodded, sighing again. "When will you be back?"

"I... don't know. But I need to speak to her about this situation before I say or do something to make this worse, and I don't trust you to keep yourself _out_ of Ree," she bit. "I'm sure you'll survive a few hours."

Henry's eyes narrowed and he clenched his jaw, but didn't say anything, just nodded sharply.

Regina then took her laundry downstairs, along with what she'd gathered of Henry's and started a load. She pulled Ree along, telling her they were going to visit Emma. The girl apparently knew better than to question Henry's absence.

They walked the short distance to the Charmings' place, where Regina asked Snow, David and Neal to keep Ree company while she spoke with Emma, also asking Snow where Emma was.

Emma looked up from the TV when Regina entered the rec room. "Hey, what's up?" she asked curiously, motioning to the free end of the couch. Chuckling, she added, "Giving the kids a bit more alone time?"

"No! That's apparently the last thing they need!" Regina huffed, dropping onto the couch uncharacteristically. "Ree's in the living room."

"Okay," Emma drew the word out. "So… what's up?"

"They had sex. And Henry... I just needed to talk it out with someone... well, with you, before I said or did anything too mean, I guess."

Emma nodded in understanding. "Okay, so… what does that mean for Ree?"

Sighing, Regina closed her eyes and pressed her head back against the couch. "I don't know. Henry said she wasn't physically a virgin anyway, because of horseback riding, but I don't know. I bled with the king, but... I suppose that could have been from other things."

Wincing slightly as she thought back to Ree's earlier comment about the king being known for being kind, Emma sighed. "Yeah, there's that. Do you believe that she wasn't physically a virgin? And more importantly, is that something that would be believed in the Enchanted Forest?"

"I don't know, Emma, I really don't." Regina looked over at the blonde sadly, shaking her head. "Even if it was, and George or James believed her, Cora would certainly punish her."

"Even if it was caused by riding?" Emma asked, not quite in disbelief (she had, after all, met Cora).

"Even if. Cora would never believe her." Shifting to face Emma better, Regina lifted her hands, palms to the ceiling. "But I'm more upset that Henry broke his promise to me. Twice in less than a day. First, I found them in bed together this morning, then... this."

"Regina…" Emma sighed quietly, running her fingers through her hair.

"What? Am I wrong for being upset? I don't know what to do anymore!" she groaned, fingers tugging at her others.

Shaking her head, Emma shifted closer on the couch. "I get it, Henry's always been a good kid, keeping his promises, doing as he's told, for the most part. And this is really important to you, because she pretty much **is** you. But… it's important to him, too, you know? They're teenagers, they're in love. I mean yeah, it would've been a lot easier if they'd waited until we knew for sure she wasn't getting sent back. But when you're that age, when you have the freedom and the ability and the desire, it's hard to wait. It's _impossible_ to wait. I'm not saying he made the right choice, I'm just saying that maybe, to him, it wasn't so much of a conscious thing."

"They haven't even known each other a week, Emma! Oh. Apparently they're engaged. _That's _why he doesn't feel bad. Because she's his fiancée." She shifted again, pressing her shoulder to Emma's and sighing at the comfort.

"Not everything takes years to develop," Emma pointed out. "I mean, isn't that what all that True Love stuff is about? An instant connection, just _knowing_ that the other person is supposed to be in your life? Besides, they're not old enough to get married anyway. Being engaged… it's words. Strong words, sure, but they're not bound together, Regina." Shifting and turning slightly, Emma hesitantly turned Regina's face toward hers. "She's not the naive young girl being forced into a marriage she doesn't want. They have to wait, legally, and we can address the marriage thing then, okay? We've got time."

Henry's words rushed through her head, the words about her and Emma and in this proximity, she badly wanted to do something, to prove to herself she was worth someone's affections, but she wasn't certain enough that Emma did return them, so instead she just nodded. "The only time he ever lied to me this much was that first year, when... well, when you came to town. When I was just the Evil Queen in his eyes."

Wincing, Emma looked away. "I'm sorry, Regina. Even though the curse turned out to be real, I… I wasn't helping Henry because I believed in it. I was helping him because I didn't like _you_. And that was really terrible of me. But that said, I don't believe Henry has actually lied, has he? Broken promises, yeah, but actual lying?"

"Maybe you're right," she allowed, dropping her head. "Maybe I'm just overreacting. You know... he told me this morning that he wants me to be happy, no matter who it's with, and I want the same thing for him, but does it have to be so fast?"

Emma breathed out a small laugh. "I know, right? Last week he was only slightly interested in dating girls, and now he's completely head-over-heels. I guess you can blame me for that, I was like that at his age, too."

Wanting to move from the topic, she asked Emma curiously, "Why aren't you dating anybody? I mean you haven't really since Hook, why is that?"

Emma froze for just a second before shrugging casually. "There aren't any decent men in town."

"... And women?" Regina asked, her voice a touch too soft for her taste.

Licking her lips quickly, Emma looked back at her. "Maybe there's one," she hedged, matching Regina's tone. Ree's words earlier about Regina liking her flitted across her brain, and she wondered if the girl had actually seen something she'd missed.

Dropping her eyes to Emma's lips before looking up again quickly, Regina rolled her lips into her mouth, then asked, "Who?"

"Does it matter?" Emma asked, after swallowing hard. "I always thought she barely tolerated me."

Everyone in town adored Emma from the moment they met her, everyone except Regina, and that was what told her maybe Henry was right after all. And maybe... _Sensibilities be damned_, Regina thought, leaning closer and whispering, "Don't hurt me, Swan." She then pressed her lips softly to Emma's, eyes fluttering shut at the contact.

Exhaling slowly through her nose, Emma brought one hand up to cup the other woman's cheek, holding her in place as she met the kiss, her lips moving slowly against Regina's.

When Regina realized that Emma wasn't pushing her away, but holding her close, she slid her hand around the blonde's neck, tangling her fingers in long tresses.

Emma let out a quiet moan, parting her lips to deepen the kiss. _Ree was right_, she thought through the haze that was quickly fogging her brain.

Matching Emma's motions, Regina parted her own lips, sliding her tongue past both sets of lips and into the other woman's mouth. She then moved her free hand to a slender, jean-clad thigh, squeezing gently.

Wrapping her other arm around Regina's waist and curling her fingers in the other woman's shirt at the small of her back, Emma sucked on the tongue in her mouth, then ran hers along its length.

Regina used the hand in Emma's hair to pull her closer, kissing with more energy than before. She had spent far too long wanting this and not having it to let go just yet.

Emma moaned again, tightening her hold on the other woman as well, feeling entirely too blissful to stop.

"Emma, David and I are introducing Ree to hot cocoa, would you like-Oh!" Snow froze in the doorway, her eyes wide as she stared at her daughter making out with her former step-mother/enemy.

Regina's eyes snapped open and she jerked away from Emma, bringing her hands to her lap. "Uh... Ree and I should probably go... I-uh, right, I'll see you later, Emma." She stood quickly, avoiding Snow's eyes.

"Regina, hang on a sec," Emma stood as well, waving her mother away. Once Snow was out of sight (although surely listening at the doorway), she took the brunette's hand, pulling her close. "This is… this is something, right? Me and you?"

Regina nodded slowly. "Yes. If I'd known sooner that you... I would have... I didn't want to get hurt."

"I don't want to hurt you," Emma replied softly, with a slightly goofy smile as she leaned in for another light kiss.

Humming into the kiss, Regina smiled as she pulled away. "Good. I'd have to send our trouble making son after you."

"Don't be too hard on him?" Emma requested, shrugging. "He's trying to do the best he can, too."

"I'll be reasonable," Regina promised, squeezing Emma's fingers. "I'll see you soon?"

Grinning so widely her cheeks hurt, Emma nodded. "Bet on it."

With that, Regina opened the door to see Snow standing there with an obnoxious grin on her face. Pushing past her, without acknowledging the look, she headed out to the kitchen, got Ree and told the guys goodbye.

When they got home, Regina found Henry in the kitchen, and she asked Ree if they could have a minute alone. The girl nodded, leaving the two of them, so Regina leaned against the island, tapping her fingers on the surface.

Henry stared intently down at the pizza box in front of him, holding a half-eaten slice in one hand. After a long silence, he sighed and dropped the pizza back in the box and turned to face his mother. "So? What's the punishment?"

"I don't have the energy to punish you when you should know better. I'd like to think you respect me enough that losing my trust is punishment enough. But I don't know anymore." Regina looked at him with weary eyes and shook her head. "And while I don't want to have this discussion with you, you need to know. I did more horseback riding than that girl, because I had a year on her before I got married, and my physical state was satisfactory to the king, so I want you to think on that and consider what will happen if, for some reason, she cannot stay."

Turning back to the pizza, but making no move to continue eating, Henry said in a hoarse voice, "Do you really think I haven't thought about that? That I haven't been thinking about that practically since she got here? Don't you think it _kills me_ to know that she could… that they could…" he trailed off, shaking his head. "I know how bad it would be for her. We talked about it. We spent half the day talking about it. And since we're already in TMI territory, I was gentle. She didn't bleed. And I'm not fully developed yet, so yeah, maybe if I was a sixty-something king, maybe my dick would be bigger, but it's not. So, y'know, there's that."

Squeezing her eyes shut, Regina bowed her head, shaking it and sighing. "The hymen isn't deeper than a penis, Henry," she sighed, flinching at the use of _that_ word. "And-"

"Regina?" Ree called hesitantly from the doorway to the kitchen, gaining the attention of both people at the island. "I wanted to. I asked Henry... It was my idea."

"Ree," Henry protested. "You don't have to say anything. I can handle this, it's okay." Even though he knew his mother was less likely to be angry at Ree than him, he still wanted to keep her out of the older brunette's line of fire.

"No, that isn't fair, Henry." Ree stepped further into the kitchen, moving to his side. "I don't... I wanted to be with Henry because I wanted my first time to be with someone I care for, someone I love. I don't know if I'm going back or staying here, but I can't say that I care, even if I'm going back. I've experienced more happiness in my short time here than I did in seventeen years at home, and if I can't be with Henry, I don't think I could ever love someone else, so I can't say I care what may happen to me if I am to return."

"Ree, you don't know what is to come in your life, you don't know what they'll do," Regina argued.

"At the very least I know what my mother will do, and what I experienced was worth any pain she has to give."

"Ree," Henry breathed out, taking her hand in his and twining their fingers together.

Ree looked from Regina to Henry, smiling brightly through misted eyes.

Regina groaned internally, both in awe at their affection for each other and pained by it. "Can you please at least keep your word not to do anything when I am home?"

Nodding, Henry immediately answered, "Yes." There was no way he wanted his _mom_ to overhear him having sex. With anyone, but especially not with a younger version of her.

"Fine. I'm going to bed. And don't run any water, please, for at least half an hour," she muttered turning away from them with a weak wave. Regina hated how different things had become in just a week, but she was the one having the hardest time, and she needed to deal with that on her own.

"Thank you, Regina," Ree muttered, looking down as the woman walked away.

"Want some pizza?"

Regina woke Saturday, still slightly upset with Henry, but less so than she had imagined she would still be. She also had spent much of the previous night thinking about her kiss with Emma, and she refused to admit to herself just how satisfying it had felt. Pulling on her robe, she checked Ree's room to make sure the girl was in her own bed, which she was, so she quietly shut the door and made her way downstairs to start breakfast.

Snow shifted the casserole dish in her hands to knock lightly on the door, a cheerful smile on her face as she waited to be let in.

Regina furrowed her brow and checked the clock for the early time. Sighing, she walked to the front door, pulling it open to see Snow. She raised an eyebrow, waving the other woman into the house. "Good morning, _early_ morning."

"I was hoping to catch you before you started breakfast," Snow admitted, making her way to the kitchen. "I brought breakfast."

"That was... nice, thank you." Regina took some plates from the cupboards and smiled awkwardly. "Can I ask what prompted this visit?"

Henry yawned as he made his way downstairs, hearing voices in the kitchen and assuming that Regina and Ree were both already up. Until he tuned in to what was being said, prompting him to stop just outside the door, listening.

"I thought we could talk about last night," Snow suggested, blinking innocently at the other woman. "About you and Emma."

Regina shook her head. "I thought you'd learned your lesson about butting in on who I kiss."

"I'm not interfering," Snow protested. "I'd just… like to know… what your intentions are. Toward my daughter."

"How traditional of you," Regina answered dryly, pulling a serving spoon from a drawer. "I don't know, but they're not bad ones. We... that was our first kiss, all right? We haven't even talked about it, because _you_ interrupted."

"_Ohhh_," Snow breathed. Then frowned slightly, asking, "Really? Because I always kind of thought you and Emma had… a thing. She just always denied it."

Around the corner, Henry listened intently, one hand over his mouth to keep in a victory cheer. Ree was going to be thrilled, it had only taken **one day** for them to get together.

Blushing furiously, Regina shook her head. "No, but apparently, everyone knew we were interested in each other except us."

Tilting her head, Snow asked, "What do you mean? Has someone else mentioned it to you?"

"Uh, Henry, actually," she answered, clearing her throat.

"_Really_?" Snow leaned against the counter, her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at Regina with interest.

Deciding that continuing to eavesdrop was getting creepy, Henry stepped into the kitchen, saying, "Yeah, but Ree pointed it out to me."

Regina pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing heavily through gritted teeth. "How much did you hear, Henry?"

"Uh…" Henry shuffled his feet sheepishly. "You and Ma kissed last night?"

Snow hid a smile in her hand, glancing between the two.

"Are you determined to forget every lesson I've ever taught you?"

"No?" Shrugging a little, Henry defended himself, "It was Ree's idea to get you together, when I heard Grandma say you kissed Ma, I had to get the details to report back." He smiled charmingly at his mother. "Besides, like I told you yesterday: I want you to be happy. So I'm happy for you and Ma."

"Just because we kissed once doesn't mean... Look, Emma and I don't even know what it means, so I would appreciate you all just dropping it until we do," Regina said, unamused.

Nodding, Snow chuckled lightly. "All right, if that's what you want."

Henry added, "Can I at least tell Ree? She's the one who pointed it out to me, and I don't want to keep secrets from her."

Groaning internally, Regina nodded. "Fine, tell Ree, otherwise no one else, please?"

Grinning, Henry nodded. "Sure. I'm gonna go tell her now!" He whirled around, sprinting out of the kitchen and making his way up the stairs two at a time.

"He's strangely enthusiastic about your love life," Snow noted with a small smirk.

"Yes, apparently. Not that I understand why. He needs to spend less time thinking about romance and more time thinking about superheroes again," Regina muttered grumpily.

Snow reached out and rested her hand on Regina's shoulder sympathetically. "He's growing up," she stated, a little wistfully, thinking about her own growing boy and the daughter she met as an adult.

Rolling her eyes, Regina pursed her lips. "Just because everyone keeps reminding me of that doesn't mean it's going to be any easier for me to accept."

"Says the woman I caught making out with my baby girl," Snow pointed out teasingly.

"She was an adult when you got her, that doesn't count. And she's thirty-five, not seventeen." Regina folded her arms across her front and looked at Snow pointedly. "You come to me once Neal has had sex."

Snow choked loudly, coughing and bringing a hand to her chest. "Sex?" she croaked out. "No no no, that's not happening. No."

"Yeah, well, I didn't think I had to think about it either," Regina sighed heavily.

Wincing, Snow rubbed Regina's shoulder. "I'm sorry. That has to be… Wow, he's young for that, isn't he? I mean, I was twenty-two."

"I'd like to say yes, but I was eighteen, and Emma had him at eighteen, it can't be so different than many kids in this world I guess."

Sobering, Snow softly pointed out, "You didn't have a choice."

Regina shook her head sadly. "No, I didn't. I'm pleased he got to choose, and that Ree got to choose, I just wish they'd waited."

"Maybe she was afraid of being pulled back to her world, where she wouldn't have a choice," Snow suggested.

"I'm really tired of you and your daughter being the reasonable ones," Regina grumbled. "It's strange."

Snow laughed, teasingly pointing out, "Regina, you cursed an entire realm, I don't think you can consider yourself one of the reasonable ones."

Raising an eyebrow, Regina gave Snow a pointed glare. "That was thirty-five years ago."

"I'm just saying."

"And just so you know, without my meddlesome child here, or at least, with only one here instead of two, I have no intention of hurting Emma. I've waited too long for happiness and I... I care too much for her to do that," she admitted, lowering her head.

Snow felt like her heart was going to burst with emotion, both at being referred to as Regina's child, even after everything they'd been through, and at the confession that the older woman cared for her daughter. Blinking away tears that insisted on forming, Snow told her, "I'm going to hug you, and you're going to accept it," and then did exactly as she'd warned, wrapping her arms tightly around the other woman.

Hesitating a moment, Regina brought her arms up, wrapping them around Snow and patting her back lightly. She didn't hold the hug long, only a moment before pulling back and shifting awkwardly.

Beaming, Snow stepped backward, recognizing when to make a tactical retreat. "You, Henry, and Ree enjoy the casserole. I should probably make breakfast at home before Pop-Tarts make the rounds."

"Thank you for bringing it. Have a good day," Regina said, walking Snow to the front door to see her out.

"You too, Regina," Snow returned softly, smiling as she left.

"Hey, Ma?" Henry grabbed Emma by the arm, pulling her into Regina's study. His other mother was in the kitchen making lunch, Ree helping her.

Emma's eyebrows rose as she was manhandled into the room. "Yeah, kid? What's up?"

Shuffling his feet, Henry glanced out the door, making sure nobody was nearby. "Um… I was wondering if you could… maybe get me a, uh…" his face steadily turned red, "box of condoms?"

Eyebrows nearly meeting her hairline, Emma asked, "You have money, Henry, you can buy your own condoms."

"Well… yeah, but… it's embarrassing," he mumbled. "And, and I don't really want anyone to know about me and Ree like that until after it's for sure that she can stay."

Rolling her eyes, Emma sighed. "You so owe me, kid."

"So you'll do it?" Henry asked, lighting up.

"Yeah, I'll do it. You're paying for them, but I'll buy them. Just this once. After this, you're on your own."

"Sweet!" Henry wrapped Emma up in an excited hug. "You're the best, Ma."

Chuckling, Emma hugged him back, before holding him at arms' reach. "Yeah, I know. Just don't tell Regina."

"Don't tell me what?" a familiar voice asked, approaching.

The two looked at the brunette standing in the doorway with one eyebrow arched expectantly. Henry flushed red again, but Emma kept her cool. "You don't need to know everything," she teased. "Henry just asked for a favor, and it's a little embarrassing for both of us."

Crossing her arms over her chest and furrowing her brow, Regina protested, when it comes to my son and my-" she cut herself off.

"Your…?" Emma prompted, grinning.

Regina lifted her chin defiantly, finishing, "My girlfriend."

The grin that spread across Emma's face could've powered Storybrooke for a month, and Henry rolled his eyes at the sappiness of his mothers. Thankfully, neither of them noticed.

Sighing as she looked at Emma, Regina shook her head, muttering under her breath that she couldn't stay stern when the blonde gave her that look, then she stalked back to the kitchen, slightly offended by her own inability to function when Emma gave her that 'happy puppy' grin.

Ree woke Tuesday morning in the plush bed Regina had allowed her to use, in the beautiful bedroom she was given, in Storybrooke. A smile crossed her face as she sat up in bed and leaned back against the pillows. She couldn't believe it. She was there to stay, she never had to go back to the Enchanted Forest, she didn't have to marry James, and she got to be with Henry for as long as they both lived.

Gleefully, she got out of bed and went to the chest of drawers she'd put her clothes in. Biting her lip, Ree pulled out the black lacy panties and matching bra she'd chosen at the store the week before, changing into them, then heading into the closet to pick out a chocolate colored halter dress that flowed around her curves and ended in the middle of her thigh. With a glance in the mirror, Ree smiled and left the room, walking down the hall to Henry's and knocking on the door.

Determined to get the most of his last few days to sleep in before school started again, Henry woke at the knock, and groaned softly before sleepily calling, "S'open."

Pushing the door open, she walked in and dropped heavily onto the bed, trying to further wake him. "Henry!" she whispered excitedly. "Henry, guess what day it is?"

"Mmm?" Henry cracked his eyelids open, blinking up at his way-too-awake girlfriend. "Tuesday," he answered, reaching an arm out for her to pull her close. "Shhh and cuddle. Sleep more, mmkay?"

Ree chuckled at him and pulled away teasingly. "Or maybe I'll go see someone who cares about the fact that I'm still here," she whispered playfully.

"Huh?" Henry's brain struggled to understand, and when the lightbulb finally clicked on, he snapped awake, his eyes wide as he sat up. "You're still here… You're still here!" he exclaimed loudly, laughing.

"I'm still here!" Ree said, just as joyfully as Henry had spoken. She wrapped her arms tightly around his shoulders, squeezing him against her and burying her face into his neck. "I get to be with you forever."

Henry wrapped one arm around Ree's waist, the other hand tangling in her hair as he breathed her in. "Forever," he agreed, holding her just as close as she was him.

"Do you think your mothers will be happy... or upset?" she asked, pulling back to give him a quick kiss.

Kissing her back, Henry smiled. "They'll be thrilled. You make me happy. That's what they want for me."

Returning his smile, Ree bit her lip and moved from his arms to get off the bed. "We should probably go downstairs, at least until your mother leaves."

Henry's eyebrows rose, and he grinned. "Oh? Do you have _plans_ for after she leaves?"

"I may have something in mind to your liking," she whispered, biting her lip and blushing lightly. "I mean... only if you're interested." Giving him a playful smile, Ree backed up toward the door teasingly, tilting her head.

Following her out of the bed, Henry backed her against the doorframe, murmuring, "Oh I'm definitely interested, Trouble."

"You love it."

"I love _you_."

"I love you, too, Henry." Ree tilted her chin up, kissing him softly and feeling as though her head was in the clouds. She didn't care, she was too happy to chastise herself for it.

Henry returned the kiss, keeping himself from deepening it only because he knew there was a good possibility that his mother was already awake.

When she pulled away, Ree whispered, "Now you have something to think about during breakfast."

"Because I really need to get an erection in front of my mom," Henry whispered back, chuckling. "C'mon, lets go downstairs."

Sliding her hand into his, she walked with him down the stairs and into the kitchen, finding Regina awake already and preparing breakfast.

"Good morning you two," Regina said, giving them a warm smile. She had already checked to see that Ree was still there when she'd woken up early that morning. "So... I suppose I can say welcome to your new home."

"Thank you," Ree answered happily, grinning once more and noting that her cheeks would likely be sore by the end of the day with all the happiness she was experiencing.

Henry grinned as well, sitting on one of the island stools and pulling Ree onto his lap, his arms wrapped around her waist and chin resting on her shoulder. "I think this is the second best day of my life," he decided.

Regina didn't ask what the first best day was, certain she didn't care to wonder. "Well, I made sausage, just need to finish the eggs and I'll be off to work. Ree, we'll have to take you to get more clothes soon, since you're staying, and find something to occupy your time when Henry goes back to school soon."

"You don't get your lessons at home?" Ree asked Henry, giving him a confused look.

Henry shook his head, "Nope. Here we go to the school and are grouped into classes of other kids our age to be taught. This is gonna be my last year."

Nodding, but slightly disappointed, Ree thought about how she would spend her days. "I don't know what I could do."

"We'll figure something out, dear," Regina said, flipping the eggs in the pan, then pulling out two plates.

Henry snuck a kiss to Ree's shoulder, suggesting, "Maybe you could help Belle in the library, or help out at the stables."

"Oh, I would love to work at the stables! That would be wonderful!" Ree said excitedly.

Regina looked away from the pair, a stab of pain filling her gut at the thought of Ree working in the stables. Pushing it down, she slid the eggs from the pan to their plates. "All right, I'll be home just after five. I'll see you two later."

"Have a good day, Mom," Henry called after her as she left, and when the door closed behind her, he kissed Ree's shoulder again. "Breakfast, and then your secret plans?" he asked teasingly.

Nodding playfully, Ree moved out of his lap to get her plate, then loaded several pieces of sausage onto Henry's plate. "I'm afraid you'll need your strength," she told him, lowering her voice slightly.

Henry almost did a double-take, Ree sounding much too much like Regina when she spoke like that. Instead of mentioning it, though, he simply replied, "That sounds promising."

"And I've been looking at more of those websites, so I'm not so naive," she whispered, cheeks flaring red.

"Says the girl blushing bright red," Henry teased, kissing her cheek, even as his body began to react to the thought of her watching porn.

Scoffing, Ree shook her head. "Just because I'm more knowledgeable doesn't mean that I'm not going to blush. It's just that the thought of us doing the things I saw is very... thrilling to me."

"Oh? And what things did you see?" He pulled her further into his lap, letting her feel the effect the conversation was having on him.

Nearly whimpering, she rolled her lips into her mouth, following the action with a smirk. "Just different positions. There was one with... um, with the woman on top. Oh, there were a lot of strange ones, like the woman on her hands and knees and the man behind her. I find that one strange," Ree muttered, scrunching her nose. "Why would anyone want to have sex how animals do?"

Henry groaned loudly, his hands moving to Ree's hips and squeezing. "There's um… there's a spot inside you that feels really, really good for you, and when the man's behind like that, he hits that spot," he explained, thinking about his own research that he'd been doing.

"Oh? And how is it you know this? Has my Henry been doing some reading and watching as well?" Pausing a moment, she bit her lip and asked, "Is that... is it something you would want to try?"

"Yes to both," Henry murmured, kissing her neck. "There's a lot that I want to try with you."

Ree ate her eggs far too quickly, eager to go upstairs. Once she finished, she muttered to Henry to hurry up, sliding off his lap and moving to stand behind him, teasing him with kisses against his neck as he had her.

Groaning, Henry hurried through his breakfast as well, finally standing and grabbing Ree around the waist, pulling her firmly against him and claiming her mouth in a deep kiss.

Returning his kiss for a long moment, Ree then pulled away and whispered, "We probably need to go upstairs before I decide to let you take me elsewhere in your mother's house."

Henry grinned slyly, backing her up against the wall and drawing her hands up over her head. "You mean like here? With your legs wrapped around my waist and gravity pulling you down even further into my cock?"

Ree let out a soft moan, nodding and pushing her hips against him. "Yes. But I have a surprise for you that would be wasted if you did such a thing."

"Mmm… next time, then," he promised, flicking her bottom lip with his tongue and pulling away.

"I'm not sure your mother would appreciate that," she chuckled, taking his hand and leading him to the stairs.

"What she doesn't know won't get me grounded," Henry joked as they returned to his room.

Smirking, Ree shook her head at him and shut the door behind them. She reached up, cupping his face in her hands and kissing him deeply, her tongue sliding out between her lips.

Henry hummed into her mouth, backing up toward the bed and pulling her down with him as he sat, so she straddled his lap.

Ree rocked her hips against him, moving her arms around his shoulders and running one hand through his hair.

Groaning, Henry gripped her hips, encouraging her movements as he pushed his tongue into her mouth.

She kissed him back eagerly, the building wetness between her legs making her ache in desire for him. "Henry," Ree panted against his lips.

"You're so hot," Henry whispered back, sliding his hands to her ass and squeezing rhythmically.

Ree pulled away from his mouth, looking into his darkened green eyes and smiling. "I think that you need to undress me."

Henry grinned, kissing her again and murmuring, "I would love to." Leaning back again, he slid his hands down her legs to the hem of her dress, pulling it up and over her head. When it was out of the way, his mouth fell open when he saw the black lace wrapped around her curves.

"I picked this out thinking especially of you," Ree told him, biting the corner of her bottom lip.

Henry groaned again, carefully tracing the edges of the lace. "It's amazing," he whispered. "You're amazing."

Shaking her head, Ree kissed him again, cupping his face in her hands. "I love you. I want to do all in my abilities to please you."

Henry smiled against her lips, but mimicked the shake of her head. "Just being you pleases me," he argued, even as he ran his hands over the smooth expanse of bare skin of her back.

Ree moved her hands down his back, fingers pulling at the material of his shirt until it was bunched at the back of his neck. She tugged at it, forcing his arms up so she could pull it off him.

Grumbling slightly at being forced to remove his hands from her body, Henry immediately wrapped his arms around her again once his shirt was off, and brought his mouth to her neck, kissing her pulse point.

Her head dropped back, allowing him extra room and Ree moaned. She wanted him, her need for him having tripled since they'd been together. Bringing one hand back to his head and holding him against her, she slid her other between their bodies, her fingers dipping into his soft pajama pants until she was touching his hardness.

"Yes," Henry hissed on an inhale, his hips twitching at the light touch. "Ree… can you… can you put your mouth on it?" he asked hesitantly.

Nodding, she slid out of his lap to kneel on the floor in front of him. Ree hooked her fingers into the sides of his pants, pulling them down, waiting as he lifted his hips to help her. She finished pulling them off, then pushed his legs apart and took him into her hand.

Henry pushed out a heavy breath, biting his lip and clenching his fingers in his sheet to keep himself from reaching out and drawing Ree closer.

Hesitantly, she lowered her mouth to him, licking the tip of his cock as she slowly stroked the base. Ree looked up at him as she lowered her head and wrapped her lips around him, sucking gently.

"Fuck," he whispered shakily, tensing against the urge to lift his hips. "That feels so good."

Taking his encouragement, she sucked a little harder, moving her head and hand a little, bringing her hand to meet her lips, then moving both back. She remembered the things she'd watched, and brought her free hand up to cup his balls.

Henry moaned, and gave into temptation, lifting one hand to push Ree's hair back and resting his hand there, fingers wound into soft waves.

Ree turned her eyes up to him and gave his erection an affectionate squeeze before looking back down to concentrate better. She lowered her mouth further over him until she felt too much pressure, learning her limits.

Fingers flexing slightly, Henry let out a strangled noise, his eyes closing and rolling back slightly. "That's amazing, baby," he breathed, forcing his eyes open again, watching her lips wrapped around him.

Pulling her mouth off, Ree kissed down his length, sliding her tongue out to lick his balls, then kissed each, stroking him in her hand.

Shuddering, Henry tugged on Ree's hair. "That's too much, baby, if you don't stop, I'm gonna come," he warned, biting his lip.

Ree pulled back, looking up at him. "Well, we wouldn't want that," she murmured, moving closer until his erection was pressed against her breasts and she tilted her chin up, using one hand to pull him down for a kiss.

Letting out a choking groan into her mouth, Henry reached between them, circling the base of his erection with his fingers and squeezing tightly. "Get up here," he whispered, moving his hands under her arms and pulling her to her feet. Once she was steady, he pressed kisses over her stomach and pulled the lacy panties down.

She rocked closer to him, watching him with a grin and cupping his chin to look up at her. "I want you very much, Henry."

"I want you, too, so much." Henry shifted on the bed, turning so his back was against the headboard, then reaching into his nightstand for the box of condoms Emma had gotten for him.

Ree climbed on the bed with him, kneeling beside him as she waited for him to tell her what he wanted, how he wanted her.

After carefully rolling the condom on, Henry bit his lip, looking at Ree. "When you looked at those videos… which ones did you like best?"

"I think... maybe the woman on top. But you said you wanted to try it from behind me," Ree offered, biting her lip with uncertainty.

Reaching out and taking Ree's hands to draw her closer, Henry brushed his lips against hers and murmured, "We have all the time in the world now… why don't you get on my cock?"

Raising her eyebrows at his words, she blushed and nodded. Ree straddled his lap, using her hand to hold his cock straight, then slowly lowered herself onto him. She let out a harsh breath at the slight burn she felt for just a moment, but whimpered as he filled her.

"Yeah," Henry sighed at the tight heat around him, and reached around her to unclasp her bra, tossing it aside. "Feels so good inside you."

"It does," Ree agreed, letting her body adjust to him. "It feels incredible having you inside me." She began moving her hips slowly, shifting forward, then moving back.

"You're so hot," Henry breathed, sliding his hands up her sides to her breasts, cupping them and flicking his thumbs over her nipples.

Arching into the touch, Ree kissed him, sliding her tongue along his lips. "_You_ are," she murmured, continuing to roll her hips against him.

Opening his mouth to her and meeting her tongue with his own, Henry rolled her nipples between his fingers.

She let out a gasp into his mouth, humming her approval. Ree gripped his shoulders for leverage, pulling herself against him.

"That's it," Henry murmured encouragingly. "Take what you want, baby, whatever feels good."

Bending her neck, Ree moved her mouth to suck gently on his neck, just below his ear. She pressed up slightly on her knees, moving her hips in a small circle around him, as she had watched someone do, curious if it actually did feel good.

Moaning at the combination, Henry pinched her nipples and braced his feet on the bed, pushing his hips up.

"Oh, Henry, that's wonderful," Ree moaned, repeating the move, then lowering back down onto him, rolling her hips faster on him.

"Uh-huh," Henry agreed, moving with her and continuing his attentions to her breasts before bending his head down and capturing one tight nipple with his lips, sucking firmly.

Whimpering, Ree wrapped her hands around his neck, weaving her fingers together and holding him in place. She lifted her hips, then lowered over him, over and again until she felt that pressing need. "Henry... can you touch me?" she whispered.

Humming against her breast, Henry nodded, switching sides and sliding the hand not attending to her saliva-slicked nipple down her stomach to the wetness gathered where they joined.

"Oh yes," Ree cried, feeling her body push to the edge. Her hips started jerking out of her control as her muscles tensed and her hands held him tighter. "Henry!" she gasped, coming as he touched and filled her.

Henry groaned, feeling her walls contracting around him, and he rested his forehead against her chest, lightly tracing his fingertips over her clit, drawing out her pleasure, even as he held his own back.

Ree moved her hands back to his shoulders, gripping him to steady herself, returning to a consistent motion with her hips to bring him to pleasure. "You're so good, Henry," she breathed, kissing his hair.

"Mmm…" Sliding his hands to her hips, Henry shifted forward, dropping Ree onto her back on the bed and kissing her deeply. Slowly, he pulled out of her, even as his body protested. "Will you let me take you, Ree?" he whispered. "Will you let me fuck you from behind?"

She nodded, smiling up at him. "Yes." Ree slowly turned herself over, pushing up onto her hands and knees as she'd seen in the videos. "Is this all right?"

"Fuck, you're so sexy," Henry breathed, running his hands over the curve of her ass. "That's perfect." Holding himself with one hand, he ran the head of his cock up and down the length of her sex before slowly pressing in, groaning once his hips cradled her ass.

"Oh wow," Ree whimpered, reveling in the feeling. Somehow he felt bigger this way, and she mentally took back her distaste at the position.

Pulling back, Henry stroked into her again, watching his cock disappear inside her as he gripped her perfect ass.

Ree gripped the sheets beneath her, rocking back against him slowly, waiting for him to tell her if he wanted more, or if he preferred to do the work himself. "That feels wonderful, Henry. _You_ feel wonderful."

"Oh yeah, Ree… Just like that, move yourself on me." Henry moved one hand to her hip, his thumb digging into her ass and pulling her open while he moved his other hand to his mouth, liberally wetting his thumb. After a moment, he put his hand back on her, just below the small of her back, and slid his thumb slickly over her ass as he stroked into her.

Letting out a squeak, Ree jerked forward and looked back. "Wh-what are you doing?" she asked, biting her lip and wishing she could see him better.

Henry's cheeks flushed red, and he took his hands off her. "Sorry, I just… Your ass is so hot," he tried to explain.

"That's okay," she said softly. "But I don't think I want to try anything like that." Ree looked down for a moment, then whispered, "I'm sorry."

Leaning forward, Henry kissed her shoulder blade. "It's okay," he whispered. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable. I'll stay away from your ass, 'kay?"

Ree nodded. "Thank you." Closing her eyes, she hoped she hadn't just ruined the moment for him.

Kissing her back a second time, Henry pressed into her again, stroking firmly and whispering, "You feel so good, Ree."

Smiling to herself, Ree rocked back slowly to meet his motions. "So do you, Henry."

Since he couldn't put his finger in her ass like he'd been hoping to, Henry gripped the full curves of her backside as he thrust into her and, his voice strained, he asked, "Can I go harder?"

Ree nodded. "Sure," she whispered, knowing he wouldn't hurt her.

Groaning, he sped up, beginning to pound into her. "Touch yourself," he directed breathlessly. "I want you to come again before I do."

"Okay," Ree breathed, shifting her balance, then bringing one hand to her clit. She rubbed it fast, side to side, whimpering as he moved into her.

"That's it," Henry encouraged, groaning as he fucked her. "You're so tight, Ree, you feel so fucking good."

Unsure of how to respond, Ree just moved with him, moving her hand as fast as she could over her clit. When she felt her body tightening again, the sensitivity from her last orgasm still there, she told him she was close.

Nodding quickly, Henry squeezed her ass, choking out a directive for her to come, as his hips jerked uncontrollably and he loudly groaned her name.

Her body tensed and tightened around him once more as her orgasm moved through her body, making her feel blissfully light all the way down to her toes. Slowing the work of her fingers, Ree panted, holding herself up on the bed despite the jelly-like feeling of her limbs.

Drawing in deep breaths, Henry slowly pulled away, pulling off the condom and tossing it in the garbage before flopping down on the bed and pulling Ree against him. "I love you… That was amazing."

"It was," she agreed, resting her head against his chest. "It was _so_ amazing. And I love you, too."

Nuzzling her hair, Henry whispered, "I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable. I should've talked to you about that before trying anything."

Ree tilted her head back to look up at him, smiling self consciously. "You took me by surprise. I-I'm not sure that's something I would be interested in trying," she admitted.

"That's okay," he assured her. "Not everybody likes it. Actually, from what I read, most women don't like it. But if you ever change your mind, you know I'm interested. And we can always go as slow as you like, and I'll _always_ stop if you ask me to."

Smiling, she kissed the corner of his mouth, then pressed her head back down on his chest. "Thank you for being so incredible, Henry. You really are such a wonderful man."

Henry shrugged a little sheepishly. "I just want to do everything I can to make you happy."

Ree nodded against him, turning her face just enough to kiss his chest. "Likewise. I can't wait to make you happy forever."

Tightening his hold on her, Henry kissed the top of her head in return. "Forever," he repeated in a somewhat reverent whisper.

"What do you think it'll be like? Do you think we'll enjoy sex for as long as we live?"

"God, I hope so," Henry chuckled. "But even if we don't… just being with you, being able to hold you. That'd still be a dream come true."

Satisfied with his answer, Ree wrapped an arm around his waist and smiled against him. "You're right. This would be enough."


End file.
